sentences:  The Kansai Railway Co. opened the entire line in 1889/90, and was nationalised in 1907.CTC signalling was commissioned in 1979, the line was electrified in 1980 and freight services ceased in 1987.Construction of a new station, "Minami-Biwako", began in May 2006 and was planned to be completed in 2012; the station was proposed to allow passengers to transfer between the Tōkaidō Shinkansen and Kusatsu lines; however, in September 2006, the Otsu district court concluded that Ritto City issuing bonds to fund the station's construction was illegal under local finance law and the project was halted; the project was officially abandoned in October 2007.