Although the line was maintained by JR West thereafter, its operations were suspended and the joint with the Kansai Main Line was removed at the end of June 2004 on the grounds that the line could become an obstacle for repair work at the Yamato-gawa River by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism as well as for construction work on the Osaka-higashi Line.
その後もJR西日本によって路線は保持されたものの、国土交通省による大和川の改修事業やおおさか東線建設工事の支障になることなどを理由に2004年6月末で休止され、関西本線からの接続部が撤去された。