Initially steam-powered, the line was built and opened in 1898 by the , whose plan was to connect towns of southern Kawachi Province to the then main line of the , present-day Kansai Main Line.
The railway, powered by steam engines, was constructed and opened in 1898 by the , whose goal was to link towns in southern Kawachi Province to the main line of the , which is now the Kansai Main Line.