As the name of the line indicates, it's a railway connecting Osaka and Kyoto, but unlike the JR Kyoto Line (Tokaido Main Line) and Hankyu Kyoto Main Line, which run in parallel with each other, the line proceeds along the south bank of the Yodo-gawa River.
路線名の通り、大阪と京都を結ぶ路線であるが、並行するJR京都線（東海道本線）や阪急京都本線とは異なり、淀川の南側を通る。