During the Meiji period, the Fukuchiyama Line, which was used as a military railroad, was improved by setting Fukuchiyama as a connecting point; this was carried out due to the fact that expanding the transportation network connecting Keihanshin (Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe area) and Maizuru Port, which was one of the major military ports in Japan, was seen as an urgent issue in preparation for the Russo-Japanese War.
明治時代に入ると日露戦争を控え、京阪神と日本有数の軍港である舞鶴港とをつなぐ交通網の普及が急がれた理由から、福知山はその中継地点として軍用鉄道の福知山線の整備がなされた。