In addition to the above, such factors as the decrease of population along the routes, the aging of residents, the opening of the Keihan Oto Line of the Keihan Electric Railway in 1989, the full opening of the Karasuma Line in 1997 (by which the Kitayama Station (Kyoto Prefecture) - Kokusaikaikan Station section was extended), the opening of a new station and the completion of electrification and partial double-tracking of the JR Sanin Main Line (Sagano Line) (the work required for full double-tracking is continuing between Kyoto Station and Sonobe Station) promoted the shift of passengers to electric trains because of the reduced travel time and the convenience of transfer to other means of public transportation, and under such circumstances the company's number of passengers has continued to decrease since its peak period of 1975.
加えて沿線人口の減少傾向と住民の高齢化など輸送需要の低下が進んできた中、1989年の京阪電鉄京阪鴨東線開業や1997年の地下鉄烏丸線の全通（北山駅(京都府)～国際会館駅間延伸）、JR山陰本線（嵯峨野線）の新駅開業や鉄道の電化・部分複線化（更に現在、京都駅～園部駅間の完全複線化工事が進行中である）などで、通勤・通学客が所要時間の短縮や他の交通機関との接続等の利便性から電車利用へ移行する結果となり、旅客輸送人員は1975年（昭和50年）度をピークに年々減少の一途をたどっている。