After JR was established, on March 13, 1988 it was decided that the name of the line between Kyoto and Maibara would be JR Kyoto Line; however, it was renamed in 1989 since there was strong demand from the local community and governor of Shiga Prefecture to have a more localized name.
JR発足後、1988年3月13日に路線愛称が定められた時、京都～米原間もJR京都線と名付けられたが、地元や当時の滋賀県知事から地域密着の路線名にして欲しいとの要望があったため、翌1989年に再度命名した。