A railway was already in operation for a short distance west from Genoa, between the stations of Sampierdarena and Voltri, opened on 8 April 1856, which branched off the Turin–Genoa line.

In 1865 the line had been absorbed by the newly established Società per le strade ferrate dell'Alta Italia (Upper Italian Railways).

In the building of the line, its designers did not pay much attention to the needs of the territory through which it was built but instead mainly took into account military considerations and the political purposes of the new Kingdom of Italy.

In 1885, the line was integrated into the new Società per le Strade Ferrate del Mediterraneo (Mediterranean System), which was taken over by the Ferrovie dello Stato in 1905.

[2][3] In 1977, the new section between Finale Ligure and Varazze was completed very late compared with the original program; it included the new station of Savona Mongrifone.

On 2 April 2005 a deviation of the line between Voltri and Pegli was opened, including the building of a new station of Genova Prà in replacement of the original one built in 1856, transferred to City Municipality for non railway purposes.

the old railway area in the territory of Prà has been utilized to build a new road and promenade, reconnecting the city with its littoral and sea, within a European Union co-financed project named "P.O.R.

A new section of double track has been built between San Lorenzo al Mare and Andora, diverting the line inland via a series of new tunnels and viaducts.

[4] Work on the section of line through Imperia ground to a halt in 2011,[5] and after the resolution of legal disputes between the main contractors, construction recommenced in February 2014.