Leaving New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal, and passing both Southport Junction and East Bridge Junction (MP 906.4), where the line south across the Huey P Long Bridge departs to the southwest, the Two Main Tracks, CTC, Illinois Central route, with speed limit 60-40, runs first westward through the New Orleans suburbs, with SR 3139 alongside to the north, turning to bridge over the line at an angle, with Central Avenue crossing at grade just west of the bridge, passing two dirt road grade crossings, the Clearview Parkway road bridge overhead, an old spur on the north side, signals, a bridge over drainage, and Mays Yard (MP 904.4), where the speed limit is briefly 40-25, on the south side of the line, where a line heads south to Elmwood Industrial Park.
There is a road bridge carrying SR 3154 (Hickory Avenue) overhead, a dirt road grade crossing, a bridge over a canal, Milan Street alongside to the north, a pedestrian crossing, and two bridges over culverts before the line passes from New Orleans into Kenner, the street alongside to the north becomes Kenner Avenue, and there are grade crossings at Fillmore Street, Taylor Street, Jackson Street, Webster Street, Clay Street, Williams Boulevard, Minor Street, Daniel Street, Oxley Street, Maria Street, George Street, and Hollandey Street, the former location of Kenner Junction (MP 902.3), where a track once continued due west.
The line turns northwest, with speed limit 25 mph, past grade crossings at Worth Street and Warren Street, to Orleans Junction (MP 900.8), where a KCS line trails in from the east (having been running parallel to the former IC line) and then heads west-southwest and provides access to the south end of the IC line running along the east bank of the Mississippi to Remy, where there is a large grain transshipment facility for loading ships for export, and Geismar yard, focal point for chemical plant switching operations.