Kansai Railway laid the line (a part of the line purchased from other companies) from Nagoya Station to Kusatsu Station along old Tokaido and the line separated at Tsuge Station via Kizu Station (Kyoto Prefecture) to Amijima Station (now abolished) and Minatomachi Station (later JR Namba Station).
関西鉄道は名古屋駅から旧東海道に沿って草津駅(滋賀県)に至る路線と、柘植駅で分かれて木津駅(京都府)を経由し、網島駅（今は廃止）・湊町駅（後のJR難波駅）に至る路線を敷設（一部は他社の買収による）。