Particularly, the airport express 'Haruka,' which began operating with the inauguration of Kansai International Airport, started going through to Kyoto on a regular basis within one year, and the section between Shin-Osaka and Kyoto has become a limited express highway where, together with other trains such as the limited express 'Raicho' bound for the Hokuriku District, about four limited trains run every hour.
特に関西空港開港と同時に運転を開始したはるか(列車)は、その1年後にはすべての列車が京都まで定期列車で入るようになり、新大阪～京都は北陸方面のエル特急「雷鳥(列車)」など他の列車と合わせ時間4本程度運転される特急街道になっている。