In 1824, upon the death of Ferdinand III, the government of the Grand Duchy passed to his son Leopold II (Italian: "Leopoldo").

The young king was tolerant of liberal ideas, an advocate for important public works and well disposed towards the new technology and private initiative.

[4] After raising the necessary capital in 40 days, the two financiers established a technical committee of nine members headed by Count Luigi Serristori.

Stephenson was persuaded to take part in the project by Orazio Hall, brother of Fenzi's wife, and Augustine Kotzian, former president of the Livorno Chamber of Commerce, who went to London to meet him in August 1838.

[5] In due course Stephenson proposed a route which corresponded with the current line along the Arno valley; he presented the final draft on the 30 April 1839.

It was resisted physically by the local carters of Montelupo Fiorentino who saw it as threatening their work, which consisted of the transport of goods to and from Florence on barged on the Arno river.

[4] The first genuinely commercially viable Italian railway remained unchanged outside the urban areas of Florence and Livorno until 2006, when a deviation of about 9.5 km between Montelupo Fiorentino and San Donnino was opened to avoid the tortuous (but very scenic when viewed from above) route near the narrow section of Arno valley (known as the Gonfolina).