NS  Non-stop Limited Express (ノンストップ特急; nonsutoppu tokkyū) SV  Premium Express Shimakaze (しまかぜ; Shimakaze)[1] The Toba Line was constructed in the late 1960s / early 1970s to allow Kintetsu to run limited express trains from Osaka and Nagoya as far as Kashikojima in Shima.

The decision to build the line was based on Kintetsu wanting to attract visitors from among the many people attending the 1970 World's Fair in Osaka to the Ise-Shima region where Kintetsu runs a variety of tourism business enterprises, and direct rail service would largely improve the bus system that was in place at that time, thereby making it more convenient to travel there.

The first solution, implemented in the 1960s, was building a bus ramp right up to the train platform of Ujiyamada Station and running buses that were timed to match up with the arriving limited expresses from Osaka and Nagoya, allowing passengers on those trains to easily switch to the bus without leaving the station or waiting long.

However, in preparation for the 1970 World's Fair, Kintetsu decided it was a good time to implement the ideal solution which was direct rail access all the way to Kashikojima; thus the Toba Line was built to provide the final link.

The line was officially completed when a second track was finished in 1975, thereby allowing bi-directional travel at all times.