Accordingly, for commuters the rapid train from Omi-Imazu Station to Osaka Station running once during the morning (set on March 16, 1996) and the rapid train from Kyoto Station to Nagahara Station running once in the evening (set on March 8, 1997) were added (the former passes Shin-Asahi, Omi-Takashima and Kitakomatsu Stations, and the latter stops at every station to the north of Omi-Maiko Station; however, both trains have stopped at Ogotoonsen Station since March 23, 2002), and the operation of these trains has been extended to Tsuruga Station.
そのため通勤客対象に1996年3月16日からは朝通勤時の近江今津発大阪行き、1997年3月8日からは夕方帰宅時の京都発永原行きの上下1本ずつ快速が設定され（前者は新旭・近江高島・北小松通過、後者は近江舞子以北各駅に停車、2002年3月23日から快速は両者ともおごと温泉駅に停車するようになった）、のちの敦賀まで運転区間が延長されている。