From the flat corssing with the B&O Chicago Terminal underneath the bridge carrying the Illinois central lines overhead at Riverdale (MP 294.2), and the flat crossings with the north-south Chicago & Western Indiana and east-west Indiana Harbor Belt, and their southeast quadrant connector, at Dolton Junction (MP 293.4), the Panhandle line heads south-southeast, double track, current-of-traffic, manual block, maximum speed 30 mph, past Berger, Dolton Yard (MP 289.8) on the west side of the line, Globe, and the junction with the SC&S, trailing in at a wye on the north side at Bernice (MP 287.8), where Rule 251 control starts and the maximum speed rises to 60 mph for passenger trains and 50 mph for freight trains.
The line continues south-southeast, past Lansing (MP 286.6), the border between Illinois and Indiana, the junction (flat crossing with southwest quadrant connector) with the north-south Monon at Air Line (MP 285.4), the junction (flat crossing only?) with the Grand Trunk Western at Maynard (MP 284.8), and the 124-car eastward siding and junction with the EJ&E and Michigan Central at Hartsdale (MP 281.7).