Portage (MP 178.2), where the speed limit is 40-25, has a platform and shelter on the south side of the tracks, but the depot is occupied by CP and is unavailable to Amtrak passengers. There is a ten track freight yard across the tracks from the station, and a small storage yard just west of the station on the south side. On the east side of town, past a road bridge overhead, the east end of the yard, and a through girder bridge over a stream, a line to Stevens Point once headed north, and another line to Horicon once headed east.
The main line, speed limit 70-60-50, turns south-southeast, past a grade crossing, the east end of Portage siding, now single track, CTC, an angled grade crossing, and a bridge over a stream, to Portage Junction, where a line to Madison heads away south, and Pacific, where the main line turns east-southeast past a grade crossing, a bridge over a stream, a road alongside to the north, and the north side siding at Wyocena (MP 169.2), with extra track on the north side, an old depot on the north side, and a bridge over a street/road, within the siding, south past a dirt road grade crossing, a grade crossing with adjacent Intermediate Signals, to Rio, with speed limit 65-60-50 from MP 167.0-166.0 and from MP 163.9-163.5, and then east-southeast past a grade crossing in town (Rio), extra track on the north side serving elevators in town, East Rio (MP 162.1), a park on the north side, a dirt road grade crossing, extra track on the north side, a grade crossing, a dirt track grade crossing, a grade crossing, detectors at MP 159.9, two grade crossings, and Doylestown.
The line turns southeast past the start of Double Track at West Dodge, two road bridges overhead, a grade crossing, a road bridge overhead, a speed limit of 65-60-50 between MP 154.7 and 154.4, a grade crossing, a bridge over a stream, a grade crossing, two bridges over streams, a grade crossing, crossovers at Fall River (MP 153.6), and dual road bridges overhead, and east at Intermediate Signals at MP 150.4, past a road bridge overhead, a grade crossing, Columbus (MP 150.0), where there is a passenger station with depot on the south side, a grade crossing east of the depot, a bridge over a river, a grade crossing, and a dirt road grade crossing.
The line turns southeast at Intermediate Signals at MP 147.8, past Astico, a road bridge overhead, a dirt track grade crossing, and a bridge over drainage, east past a grade crossing, a road bridge overhead, and a grade crossing, to crossovers at Reeseville (MP 140.8), where the speed limit is 65-60-50 for 0.4 miles, and south-southeast past a grade crossing, a road bridge overhead, Intermediate Signals, extra track on the north side, a wooden road bridge overhead, a bridge over a stream, detectors at MP 137.3, Richwood, Voltz, two grade crossings, a bridge over a road, a bridge over a river and a bridge over a road, to Watertown (MP 131.2), where the speed limit is generally 50-40 through the area, there is a CP line trailing in from Waterloo to the west, crossovers, a flat crossing with a UP (ex-C&NW) north-south line (speed limit 40 mph), and a yard, and was once a passenger station.