At Hammond (MP 859.0), there is an Amtrak station (platform and brick depot to the west), a line heads west to Baton Rouge and the north end of the “Chemical Coast” line via Geissmar, and a Yazoo and Mississippi Valley line once headed east. The main line continues north, past the 13,253 ft. siding on the west side at Natalbany (MP 856.3), where the New Orleans, Natalbany & Natchez once headed northwest, with extra track on the east side, a bridge over a stream, a grade crossing, extra track on the east side, a bridge over a stream, and two bridges over drainage, all within the siding, a detector at MP 855.2, a grade crossing, a road to the east, Intermediate Signals, Tickfaw (MP 854.1), a grade crossing, a wood alongside to the east, a dirt road grade crossing, four grade crossings, and an old depot to the east at Independence (MP 849.9).
There are three grade crossings, a dirt road grade crossing, a grade crossing, Velma, two dirt road grade crossings, two grade crossings, Shiloh, where a spur to a gravel pit once headed east, a dirt track grade crossing in the woods, a dirt road grade crossing, a grade crossing at a driveway, Intermediate Signals, a detector at MP 844.2, a grade crossing, a dirt track grade crossing, two grade crossings, an old depot to the east at Amite (MP 843.5), two grade crossings, Intermediate Signals, a grade crossing, a dirt road grade crossing, Roseland (MP 840.8), the 13,003 ft. siding on the west side at Arcola (MP 840.0), with a grade crossing and a dirt track grade crossing within the siding, a grade crossing, a dirt track grade crossing, a bridge over a stream, Fluker (MP 837.0), a grade crossing, a south-facing spur on the east side, a grade crossing, and Day, where an erstwhile short line to Mitchell once headed east.
The line continues north, past a bridge over a stream, two dirt track grade crossings, a bridge over a stream, a dirt track grade crossing, a bridge over a stream, two dirt track grade crossings, a bridge over a stream, two dirt road grade crossings , Intermediate Signals, a bridge over a stream, a dirt road grade crossing in the woods, a dirt track grade crossing, a detector at MP 833.4, Tangipahoa (MP 833.4), a grade crossing at SR 440, a bridge over a stream, a dirt road grade crossing, Kent's Mills, where a narrow gauge line once headed west, a dirt track grade crossing, an extra track on the east side starts, a dirt track grade crossing, a grade crossing in the woods, two grade crossings (including the one at SR 38), Kentwood (MP 829.0, 35 mph on the Highway 38 crossing), where a short line once headed southeast and the line turns north-northeast, the north end of the extra track on the east side, three bridges over streams in the woods, two dirt road grade crossings, and Greenlaw, before the line crosses into Mississippi.
The countryside now varies between open agricultural fields and large stands of southern pines. There is a grade crossing, a 9,642 ft. siding on the east side at Osyka (MP 823.9), with a bridge over a stream in the woods, extra track on the east side, and Liberty Street grade crossing within the siding, where the line turns north, past five bridges over streams in the woods, a detector at MP 820.0, a grade crossing, Chatawa, two bridges over streams, a grade crossing, an old depot on the east side at Magnolia (MP 814.0), the SR 48 grade crossing, extra track to the east, a bridge over a stream, two dirt track grade crossings, Fernwood Junction (MP 812.1), where double track, ABS, starts, with speed limit 40-25, a dirt road grade crossing, a dirt track grade crossing, a grade crossing and Fernwood, where a line once trailed in from the east.
There is a grade crossing, three extra tracks to the east, a bridge over a stream, crossovers, extra track to the east, a through girder bridge over a stream, a road bridge overhead, a grade crossing, three extra tracks on the east side at South Yard (MP 808.7), and the Division Point at McComb (MP 806.9), where there is a passenger station with platform and shelter to the west and a platform between the tracks, the Liberty-White Railroad once intersected on both sides at grade, there are six yard tracks to the east, signals where single track once began again (but DT is now continuous), a bridge over a road, Summit (MP 804), Main Street grade crossing, crossovers, a road alongside to the east, and a bridge over a stream.
The line turns north-northeast past two extra tracks on the east side, a road bridge overhead in the woods, the former Summit Junction (MP 801.7), where double track once began again (but is now continuous), a spindly road bridge overhead, a grade crossing, Intermediate Signals at MP 799.x, three grade crossings, a bridge over a stream, a dirt track grade crossing in the woods, and three bridges over streams in the woods, north past a detector at MP 795.7, Johnstone, and a grade crossing, north-northeast past extra track to the east, Norfield, where the Natchez, Columbia & Mobile once headed east, a grade crossing, a road bridge overhead, extra track on the east side, four bridges over streams, and Bogue Chitto.
There is a dirt road grade crossing in the woods, a bridge over a stream in the woods, two dirt road grade crossings, and two bridges over streams, and the line turns north past Thayor and a road bridge overhead, and north-northeast past signals, a large paper mill, and five grade crossings, before reaching Brookhaven (MP 783.1), where there is a passenger station with stuffed-and-mounted steam locomotive and well preserved brick IC depot on the west side, two grade crossings, a dirt road grade crossing, a flat crossing with a connector in the northeast quadrant where a line heads west to Natchez and one heads east to Silver Creek, a road bridge overhead, and three extra tracks on the west side.
The line continues north-northeast past Montgomery, Wesson Junction (MP 775.4), where single track, CTC, begins, an angled road bridge overhead, a road bridge overhead, three grade crossings in Wesson (freight trains 40 mph on all street crossings), and a detector at MP 772.6, north past a grade crossing in Beauregard, a dirt road grade crossing, a dirt road grade crossing, and extra track to the east at Martinsville, north-northeast (75-50 on the curve) past a grade crossing, a bridge over a stream in the woods, two grade crossings, a spur to th east, a grade crossing, a dirt track grade crossing, a spur to a lumber mill to the east, a detector at MP 764.52 (no radio message in June, 2010), a road bridge overhead, a grade crossing, a road bridge overhead, the passenger station with platform and brick depot to the east at Hazlehurst (MP 762.5, 50-40 from MP 763.6 to 761), a grade crossing, and a spur to the east, turning north and then north-northeast past a road bridge overhead, a closed grade crossing, a dirt track grade crossing in the woods, a grade crossing, and a road alongside to the west.
There is a grade crossing, Intermediate Signals at Gellman, a wooded area, a road bridge overhead, a grade crossing, and the 15,003 ft. siding on the west side at Crystal Springs (MP 753.4, formerly 50-40 an all street crossings), with a town street to the east, and two grade crossings, north and then north-northeast (75-50 on both curves) past two road bridges overhead, a dirt road grade crossing, a road to the east, a dirt track grade crossing in the woods, Terry, a dirt track grade crossing, Intermediate Signals at Byram (MP 738.2), where the right-of-way of the former New Orleans & Great Northern comes alongside to the east, and the Pearl River is nearby on the east side, a dirt road grade crossing, a grade crossing, two dirt track grade crossings at driveways, a grade crossing, Intermediate Signals, a bridge over a road, two grade crossings, a bridge over drainage, a grade crossing, a dirt track grade crossing, a bridge over a culvert, a dirt track grade crossing in the woods, a spur to a plant to the east, a dirt road grade crossing, a grade crossing, a bridge over a stream, two dirt track grade crossings, and woodland on both sides.
Double track, ABS, resumes at Elton Junction (MP 738.0), past swamp land to the east, a dirt track grade crossing, extra track to the east, a bridge over a stream, a grade crossing, and Jackson Junction (MP 731.5), where the speed limit is 30 mph, a joint IC/KCS Beaumont District line from Hattiesburg trails in from the south, a KCS (ex-Mid South, ex-ICG) line from Meridian trails in from the southeast, and the line turns north, past a spur to an APEC plant, crossovers at McDonald, a grade crossing, a spur to industry to the east, five angled road bridge overhead, a bridge over a stream, Intermediate Signals at MP 730.5, a bridge over a street, a bridge over an angled stgreet, a bridge over a street, a location where the former Yazoo & Mississippi Valley trailed in from the west, where the speed limit rises to 79-60, and a grade crossing, to the passenger station at Jackson (MP 729.0), with platform and brick depot (at lower level) to the east, and two island platforms to the west, plus additional tracks (freight yard) on the west side beyond the platforms.
The Mississippi State capital at Jackson is an urban exception to the prevailing scenery, with the state capitol on the east side of the line just south of the station. The tracks are elevated through downtown Jackson, with speed restrictions to 30 mph on curves north of the station and south of the North Jackson Yard. The KCS (ex-Mid South, ex-ICG) line to Vicksburg and Shreveport departs to the west at a wye on the west side, just north of the station. The elevated line gradually ends, past a bridge over a road, a road bridge overhead, a pedestrian bridge overhead, a bridge over a culvert, a street alongside to the east, and a road bridge overhead. There is a freight yard on the west side at North Jackson (MP 727.2), at the north end of which there is a wye (speed limit 30 mph) where the Grenada District heads north-northeast, while the Yazoo District turns northwest, with speed limit 10 mph.