The double track, CTC, speed limit 65-50, main line bridges over the ex-GTW and ex-B&OCT lines at Harvey (MP 20.0 on the main line), with a connecting line ('north leg of the wye') in the northeast quadrant, a signal bridge at MP 20, and another connecting line ('south leg of the wye) in the southeast quadrant, following which IC’s large Markham Yard, the principal freight location for the Chicago area, lies along the east side of the line. (There is another at Glenwood on a different IC line in the Chicago area.) IC’s locomotive shops and servicing facilities are also at Markham Yard, which passes a bridge over 159th Street, a bridge over the Cal Union Ditch, MP 21, a signal bridge (Intermediate Signals at Hezelwood), another connector into the yard on the east side, a bridge over 171st Street, a bridge over Dixie Highway, and Amtrak and Metra's Homewood station (MP 23.5 on the main line), with an island platform with umbrella shed between the tracks of the main line, a signal bridge just to its south, and crossovers beyond that.
The yard ends on the east side of the station where the 'Thoroughfares' end and Three Main Tracks begin (10 mph through the turnouts, 50 mph on track 1 and 40 mph on tracks 2 and 3 thereafter), there is a park to the east, catenary support bridges crossing all of the tracks, Intermediate Signals on a signal bridge, a spur on the east side, a bridge over Flossmoor Road, a park to the east, a bridge over divided Vollmer Road, signals as the third main track on the east side ends at MP 26, Intermediate Signals on a signal bridge at MP 27, a bridge over Lincoln Highway (US 30), a bridge over Front Street, all while passing four more stations on the Metra Electric line, a northeast quadrant connector with the EJ&E and a loop connecting IC north to EJ&E west, both opened on October 3, 2011, and then a bridge over the double track Elgin, Joliet & Eastern line. Adjacent to the Metra Electric line's Richton station, a connector departs the main line to the northeast, to join the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern line just to the north, with the four track Matteson Yard just to its east.