Even though Kintetsu owned both the Nagoya Line and the Yamada Line, direct service between Nagoya and Ujiyamada was not possible because the Sankyū Main Line (Yamada Line) was built using a railway gauge of , however the Sankyū Ise Line (Nagoya Line) was built using a gauge of , so it was necessary for passengers to change trains at Ise-Nakagawa. However, in September 1959, the Nagoya Line suffered severe damage due to the Ise-wan Typhoon and while repairing the line, Kintetsu widened the gauge of the entire line to 1,435 mm so that express trains could travel directly from Nagoya to Ujiyamada without changing; this service began in early 1960.