On 1 October 1910, the KCR British Section opened, including Beacon Hill Tunnel, but without any station at Kowloon Tong.

Kowloon Tong station on the KCR opened on 4 May 1982, serving as an interchange point with the MTR.

[3] A new underground southern concourse for the East Rail line was opened on 15 April 2004 to increase the station's capacity.

The space was originally designed to allow the Metro Cammell EMUs to be transferred to the Kwun Tong line when they were unloaded at Hung Hom, but the track was never built as the MTR decided to use lorries to carry all of its train carriages to the Kowloon Bay Depot.

[7]A pedestrian walkway connects the station with Festival Walk, a major shopping centre.