The first iteration of Tai Wai station along the Kowloon–Canton railway (KCR), which would later be renamed the East Rail line, arose out of a natural disaster, when a temporary station was first constructed at its present-day location in the immediate aftermath of tropical storm Ellen, whose associated torrential rain severely damaged the original masonry arch Bridge No.

11 was demolished and reconstructed to more modern construction standards, enabling a full resumption of end-to-end train services between Hung Hom and Lo Wu on 10 October 1976.

As a short-term move, construction of a temporary wood-supported station next to Tai Wai Industrial Estate began in November 1982 and it was opened on 15 August 1983 as part of the KCR's greater electrification and double-tracking modernisation programme.

On 14 February 2020, the Ma On Shan line was extended west to a new terminus in Kai Tak, as part of the first phase of the Shatin to Central Link project.

[11] Platforms 2 and 3 serve southbound trains on the East Rail and Tuen Ma lines respectively and are connected by four large walkways.