At Merriam Park (MP 416.0), there is a wye junction with the Minnesota Commercial Railroad's line from the north, with a bridge over a north-south street, extra track on the north side, and a street alongside to the north, and the single-track, CTC, line heading east-southeast with speed limit 40-25, bridging over I-94 at an acute angle on a through girder bridge, past Intermediate Signals, an acute angle grade crossing with an east-west street, a bridge over both a north-south street and an east-west street, a spur on the northeast side, an acute angle road bridge overhead, carrying an east-west street, and a north-south road bridge overhead, turning south past two road bridges overhead (east-west streets), Intermediate Signals, and a road bridge overhead, and then east, as the line descends to the Mississippi River valley, past a road bridge carrying a north-south street overhead, a street alongside to the north, a bridge over a street, and Intermediate Signals, bridging over I-35E at another acute angle, past a bridge over a street, two angled grade crossings with north-south streets, and an angled road bridge overhead, and turning east-northeast at Fordson Junction (MP 412.0), where the UP (ex C&NW) Mankato subdivision comes alongside on the south side, past a road bridge overhead (and also over the Mississippi River), a tall retaining wall to the north, and a street alongside to the south, before connecting in at the crossovers at Chestnut Street (MP 411.2).