At the crossovers at St. Croix Junction (MP CP 392.1/BNSF 410.5), where the joint trackage ends, the two-track BNSF turns away to the east, and the CP turns south, as single track, CTC, past a wide road bridge overhead, to cross the Mississippi River on a multi-span through-truss bridge with a movable section and a bridge over a street on the river bank, into Hastings. (MP 391.1), where a spur to Con Agra continues to the south and the main line turns southeast, expanding to 2MT, CTC, with speed limit 79-60-50, following the alignment of the river, but now on its west bank, and passing two grade crossings, extra track on the east side, a bridge over a side river, fields to the east of the line, a dirt track grade crossing, East Hastings (MP 388.7), a dirt road grade crossing, a dirt track grade crossing, and a dirt road grade crossing.
The line reduces to single track at Vermillion (MP 385.9), where a former Milwaukee Road alignment headed south, and the present alignment continues southeast past a grade crossing, a bridge over a side river, with the Mississippi alongside to the east, then fields on the east side again, the 10,473 ft. west side siding at Blackbird (MP 384.0), with a grade crossing in the siding, a dirt road grade crossing, Stroms, two grade crossings, the second at a detector at MP 378.8, a street alongside to the east, a spur curving away east to a nuclear power plant, a grade crossing, a bridge over a side river, and the 18,376 ft. west side siding at Duke (MP 374.2), with a bridge over a side river and a bridge over a side stream within the siding, where the former alignment rejoins and the line turns east to come right alongside the river, past a bridge over a side stream, a road bridge overhead, a grade crossing, extra track on the north/east side, and into Red Wing (MP 370.7), where there is extra track on both sides of the line, there is a grade crossing at Broad Street, north of the station (MP 370.69), the depot is on the south ('west') side of the tracks, a track to a grain unloader on the north/'east' side, a road bridge overhead, the yard on the north side, a spur to the NSP power plant on the north side, a bridge over a street, Intermediate Signals, an angled road bridge overhead, and a rail-served USG gravel plant on the north/'east' side.
The line turns east-southeast, a bit away from the river (with a hill in between), past a dirt track grade crossing, a road alongside to the east, a dirt track grade crossing, a grade crossing, a dirt road grade crossing, a bridge over a stream, Wacouta, south past a bridge over a culvert, a dirt road grade crossing, hills to the east, and the 12,441 ft. west side siding at Frontenac (MP 362.0), and then east, within the siding, past a dirt road grade crossing, a dirt track grade crossing, a grade crossing, extra track on the north/'east' side, Intermediate Signals, and a bridge over a stream, south-southeast alongside the river past fields to the north/'east', a grade crossing, a road between the line and river starting at a detector at MP 357.1, two grade crossings, and a west side yard at Lake City (MP 353.8), with two grade crossings, rail-served grain elevators to the east, and extra track to the east, all while passing the yard,.
There is a grade crossing, a road bridge overhead, a turn southeast, a bridge over a stream, a dirt road alongside to the east, the 12,360 ft. west side siding at Lakeview (MP 351.0), with a dirt road grade crossing into east-side industry, the line coming right on the riverbank again (this river segment is Lake Pepin), and a bridge over a side stream, within the siding, east past Intermediate Signals at Reads Landing, a grade crossing to the riverbank, islands in the river, Intermediate Signals at ~MP 342.x, and a grade crossing, and southeast past the four track east-side yard at Wabasha (MP 341.2), with a dirt road grade crossing for a house to the east, a grade crossing, and a spur to the east, within the yard, where the line leaves the river, turning south-southeast with extra track on the east side, still, past a grade crossing, MP 341, a road bridge overhead, a bridge over a road, MP 340, the 13,326 ft. east side siding at Midland Junction (MP 338.0), where a Milwaukee Road line once headed west to Mankato, a road alongside to the east, a grade crossing, a bridge over a side river, abutments for an erstwhile four-arched bridge overhead, a grade crossing, a dirt track grade crossing, a bridge over a dirt track and a dirt road grade crossing.
The line turns south past a bridge over a stream, a detector at MP 331.5, Intermediate Signals at MP 331, a road alongside to the east, and a grade crossing as that road turns, and south-southeast past the river alongside to the east, a dirt track grade crossing to a park on the river, a bridge over a side river, the 11,736 ft. east side siding at Weaver (MP 325.0), with the river back a bit, a bridge over a side river, where the river bank is regained, and three bridges over side streams, east past a lock and dam on the river, a grade crossing to the lock, a grade crossing, MP 319, and Minneiska, and southeast, along the river, to the 11,556 ft. east side siding at Minnesota City (MP 316.0), with a bridge over a stream within the siding, a grade crossing, and a bridge over a side river, south of the siding..
The DM&E trails in from the west, south of the south end of Minnesota City, and runs parallel (on the west side) to the CP main line south to Winona Junction (MP 312.2), with a street alongside to the east, a bridge over a stream, and a grade crossing. The main line turns east-southeast and passes the road to the east turning away, a grade crossing, a road bridge overhead, CK Tower (MP 310.1), at the north end of Winona, where a former C&NW line curves away to the east, a grade crossing, a spur curving away to the east, two grade crossings, a grade crossing at a street intersection, three grade crossings, several streets with closed-off grade crossings, extra track on the north/'east' side, a grade crossing, Winona (MP 308.2), where the brick depot is on the north side of the tracks, with extra track in front of the depot on that side, and the five-track yard on the south side,.
There are two grade crossings, several streets with closed-off grade crossings, a grade crossing, two spurs on the 'east' side, a grade crossing, the end of the spurs and extra track, a bridge over a side river, the 13,514 ft. west side siding at Homer (MP 303.0), with four dirt track grade crossings to houses on the river and a street alongside to the 'west' within the siding, a dirt track grade crossing to the riverside, a bridge over a side stream, Intermediate Signals at ~MP 300, a detector at MP 299) , a bridge over a side river, three dirt track grade crossings to houses on the river, a road alongside to teh west, Lemoille, a dirt track grade crossing, a grade crossing, three dirt track grade crossings, a bridge over a side stream, and a dirt track grade crossing, and turns southeast past the 11,360 ft. west side siding at Donehower (MP 293.0), with two dirt track grade crossings within the siding, and south-southeast past a grade crossing, Dakota, a bridge over a road, a dirt track grade crossing, and Dresback, to River Junction West (MP 288.0), where tehre is extra track on the west side.
At River Junction (MP 285.0), the line southward to La Crescent heads off on the west side. This is the ex-IMRL, ex-Milwaukee line south and then southwest to Kansas City, and together with the line from the west end of the bridge forms a large wye. The main line proceeds south-southeast along the river, past three road bridges overhead, a street alongside to the east, and MP 284, until it meets a line coming east from the wye at La Crescent at Bridge Switch (MP 283.6), where it turns east.