From the junction with the former New York Central Indiana District, coming from the north-northwest at Templeton (MP 277.1), the single track, manual block, line with maximum speed 25 mph, heads east-southeast, past the 6,480 ft. siding at Otterbein (MP 271.0) and Montmorenci (MP 267.4), turning south-southeast, past Balls (MP 263.0), curvily east, and then south-southeast, past Summit (MP 260.3) and a bridge over the Wabash River at MP 259.1, where the maximum speed increases to 45 mph, with a 20 mph restriction on curves, west-southwest, past the start of Yard Limits at MP 258.9, a 25 mph speed restriction over road crossings in Lafayette, from the road crossing at Smith Street (MP 258.43) to MP 256.4, the former passenger station at Lafayette (MP 258.5), the start of CTC, and the flat crossing with the CSX (former Monon) and junction and flat crossing with the former Wabash at Lafayette Junction (MP 257.5).
The line turns south, past a west leg of the wye trailing in on the west side at East Demum (MP 257.2), 30 mph on the connection, and southeast, to Altamont (MP 254.8), where the former New York Central Indiana Division splits off to the south, the NS line turns east, and there is a spur on the north side to the Fairfield Plant.