There used to be many stations used by small numbers of passengers, but the numbers of passengers increased enormously, not only because the development along the line below Sasayamaguchi Station moved ahead at a fast pace as the line above Takarazuka was electrified and the line between Takarazuka and Shin-Sanda was double-tracked on November 1, 1986, but also because many passengers switched from the Hankyu Takarazuka Line of the Hankyu Railway and the Hankyu Itami Line (which lie in parallel with the Fukuchiyama Line) to the Fukuchiyama Line.
乗車人員が少ない駅が多かったが、1986年11月1日の宝塚以北電化、宝塚～新三田間複線化を機に、篠山口駅以南では沿線の開発が急ピッチで進められ、その上並行する阪急電鉄阪急宝塚本線・阪急伊丹線から大幅に乗客がシフトしたこともあって乗客数は急増。