Kensington Olympia has had an erratic history, with a series of closures and name changes since the West London Railway opened the first station in 1844. It was known as Addison Road Station until a major closure in 1940, when WW2 all but halted traffic on the line. When it reopened in 1946 it was named Kensington (Olympia), in reference to the Olympia London exhibition centre next door. In operation since 1886, has hosted everything from Jimi Hendrix concerts to the annual Crufts dog show.
Today the station serves London Overground and London Underground trains and is located in Travelcard Zone 2. National Rail maps and timetables register it as Kensington Olympia, the London Underground as Kensington (Olympia) and on the automated announcements on the District line it is simply known as Olympia. The former name Addison Road Station also appears embossed on the wall by the station's eastern exit.