In this scenario, SAFEL (Società Anonima Ferrovie Elettrici Liguri) studied the construction of a passenger line for local use, complementary to Genoa-Piacenza, whose purpose was to connect the city center to all the small municipalities and holiday resorts of the Ligurian hinterland, otherwise not served by any rapid transport system.

Alongside these there was also a proposal for a western network of the FEL composed of lines not interconnected with each other: it was the Savona - Sassello - Ovada, the Finale Ligure - Calizzano - Cengio and the Imperia - Pieve di Teco - Ormea with a branch to Albenga.

However, to allow the construction of a connection in Manin with the Genoese tram network, the operating company presented a variation to the project, approved by the Superior Council of Public Works, which provided for the adoption of the 1000 mm gauge.

(Società Elettrica Nazionale), a subsidiary of the Ernesto Breda industries, was awarded the contract for the laying of the track, for the construction of the overhead line, the electrical substations and for the supply of rolling stock.

Meanwhile, the succession of numerous extension projects in different directions, some of which were very unlikely, required the use of considerable financial resources, causing the progressive economic instability of the company and also ending up slowing down the construction of the central trunk.

The first tracks were laid in 1926 starting from Vicomorasso, with the help of a Mallet-type steam locomotive purchased by the Ferrovie dell'Appenno Centrale, but operations were interrupted due to lack of funds.

Only on October 2, 1928 was the first electric train – reserved for the two hundred members of the Italian Electrotechnical Association which in those days held its annual congress in Genoa – able to circulate on the entire line.

The direct-current electrification was originally used 2400 V. The fleet of first equipment consisted of the vehicles supplied by Breda: 3 locomotives-trunk (001-003) with Bo'Bo' running gear and 360 horsepower, characterized by an innovative Breda-Somarini energy recovery system, unique in Italy; 4 third-class carriages (50-53); 3 mixed first-third class (20-22) and 16 freight wagons of various types (delivered in 1926, well before the railway opened).

This was because the company had invested heavily in the extension projects without bothering to pay off outstanding debts with Breda and banca Nazionale del Lavoro, which had financed much of the construction of the line.

On 23 August 1937 two of the locomotives were destroyed in an accident near Vicomorasso in which five people were killed; to remedy the shortage of engine material, three electromotives were purchased by the Società Veneta, built by MAN in 1913 with running gear (A1) (1A) for the Montebelluna-Asolo and Montebelluna-Valdobbiadene tramways closed in 1931.

In the years of mass motorization, the Genoa Casella Railway survived thanks to the low maintenance and operating costs, combined with the lack of a satisfactory road network, especially in the first half of the route.

The modernization of the network and rolling stock continued in successive phases in the following years: in 1980 the expansion of the bridge over the Scrivia was carried out with the movement of the last section of the line, first in promiscuous location, and construction of a doubling track in Casella Paese.

Finally, in 1985, the A3 electromotive with a completely redesigned case, chopper electrical equipment made by the EEA company of Genoa and two Faiveley pantographs with double strip already tested on the B51 and A4 returned to service.