When the line opened, it was a part of the westbound main line from Tōkyō (from 1909 called Tōkaidō Hon). In 1934, a new section of Tōkaido Hon along the coast was opened, and this line become Gotemba line.

There are four daily trains, Romance car "Asagiri", from Shinjuku over the Odakyū railway, to Numazu. The trip takes two hours. The trains leave the Odawara line just before Shin-Matsuda station and turn right to Matsuda station on the Gotemba line.