In 1978, the denomination of the section from Tofukuji Station southward was changed from a tramway, as defined by the Tramways Act, to a local railway as defined based on the local Railways Act; however, the section between Tofukuji Station and Sanjo Station, where work to take the tracks underground was once planned, has remained unchanged for the convenience of procedures, and nowadays it's still denominated as a tramway.
1978年に東福寺以南が軌道法に基づく軌道から当時の地方鉄道法に基づく地方鉄道に変更されたが、地下化工事が計画されていた東福寺～三条間は手続き上の便宜から軌道のままで残され、現在に至っている。