The section between Kyoto Station and Momoyama Goryo-mae Station was constructed with the use of an old railway site of the Japanese Government Railways' Nara Line, and since the entire line entered full operation it was operated directly to the Daiki's Kintetsu Nara Line and the Unebi Line (current Kintetsu Kashiwara Line).
京都～桃山御陵前間は鉄道省奈良線の旧線跡を利用して建設され、全通時より大軌の近鉄奈良線・畝傍線（現在の近鉄橿原線）と直通運転をしていた。