From McFarland, where the erstwhile Rock Island line from Colorado Springs once trailed in from the northwest, the line continues east-northeast, single track, CTC, speed limit 60 mph, past a turn to the east, the 13,888 ft. siding at Paxico (MP 119.9), a detector at MP 116.4, a turn just north of due east at Vera, the 14,002 ft. siding at Maple Hill (MP 108.4), a turn to the east along the Kansas River's south bank, a detector at MP 103.0, Willard, where the line turns just south of due east, following the river, Valencia, a turn just north of due east, following the river, West Topeka (MP 96.4), where CTC ends, Double Track, Automatic Block Signals starts, and the speed limit drops to 50 mph, a turn just south of due east, still following the river, the yard at East Topeka (MP 90.9), where Double Track ends and CTC resumes, the speed limit is 30 mph, and the line turns north at a wye with a connector continuing east to the former Santa Fe line in downtown Topeka, bridging over the Kansas River to SJ Junction (MP 89.0), where the line trails into the double track UP Kansas sub. (and once continued north as the Rock Island line to St. Joseph), there is a yard, and the speed limit is 10 mph.