During the Meiji period it was an important issue to have railroad facilities to Maizuru City, the second-largest city (followed by Kyoto City in Kyoto Prefecture), which had a valuable commercial port on the Sea of Japan.
明治時代、京都市に次ぐ京都府第二の都市であり、日本海側では貴重な商港を有する舞鶴市までの鉄道敷設が緊急の課題となっていた。