The former Southern line is single track, Automatic Block Signals, Traffic Control, with overall speed limits 60 mph for passenger trains and 55 mph for freight trains. From Cohutta (MP 26.7), where the line from Cleveland, TN, used by coal trains from Southwestern Virginia (those from Kentucky and some from Powder River use the Chattanooga line directly from Ooltewah), trails in on the east side, and there is a 25-car extra track, the line continues just west of due south, past a 15.840 ft. signaled siding from Cohutta to Still (MP 29.8, 25 mph on the turnout), a restriction to 55 mph on curves between MP 28.5 and MP 37.1, and a north-facing 19-car spur at Varnell (MP 30.9), where it turns south past a detector at "Varnell" (MP 31.4), an 11,550 ft. signaled siding from Hilton (MP 33.7) to Waring (MP 36.0), a detector at MP 36.2, a restriction to 50mph on curves between MP 37.1 and MP 39.2, and Norton (MP 37.7).
There is a 35 mph speed restriction over street crossings in Dalton, between MP 38.0 and MP 43.0, a restriction to 40 mph on curves between MP 39.2 and MP 39.8, as the line turns south-southwest, a restriction to 25 mph on curves between MP 39.8 and MP 40.3, a 25 mph restriction from MP 39.9 to MP 40.2, over the flat crossing with the CSX (former NC&StL) Chattanooga to Atlanta line at MP 40.05, a grade crossing right at the flat crossing, the Wall Street overpass just south of the crossing, a yard and 10 mph west-side siding from Hair (MP 40.1) and Dalton (MP 40.3), to Walnut (MP 42.4, 25 mph on the turnout), a restriction to 35 mph on curves between MP 40.3 and MP 40.8, with Carbondale Road to the west, a restriction to 50 mph on curves between MP 40.8 and MP 41.8, a restriction to 55 mph on curves between MP 41.8 and MP 45.0, as the line turns south and then south-southwest again.
Facilities for customers in this area include a south-facing 5-car spur at World Carpet (MP 43.0), a south-facing 17-car spur at General Tire (MP 43.3), a south-facing 5-car spur at Judd and Sims Gas (MP 43.8), and a 17-car south-facing spur at Duvall Chemical (MP 44.5), with a restriction to 45 mph on curves between MP 45.0 and MP 47.5, as the line turns somewhat curvily south, past a detector at MP 45.1, a 10-car north-facing spur at Farm Industrial (MP 45.1), a 3-car south-facing spur at AAA Gas (MP 45.3), and a 15,848 ft. signaled siding from Phelps (MP 45.4, 40 mph on the turnout), past a 12-car north-facing spur at Latex Filler (MP 45.9), a 5-car south-facing spur at Woodyard (MP 46.1) and a 50-car south-facing spur at Textile Rubber (MP 46.1), to Freeman (MP 48.0, 40 mph on the turnout).
There is a restriction to 50 mph on curves between MP 47.5 and MP 50.2, a restriction to 55 mph on curves between MP 50.2 and MP 64.8, a detector at "Carbondale" (MP 50.6), a 10,232 ft. signaled siding from Davis (MP 53.3, 40 mph on the turnout) to Sugar Valley (MP 55.3, 40 mph on the turnout), a detector at MP 55.4, a 35-car dual-ended spur at Oostanula (MP 60.0), and the through-girder Oostanula River Bridge (MP 61.6, 40 mph on the bridge), and the line turns south-southwest past a 6-car south-facing spur at Plainville (MP 66.0), a detector at "Plainville" (MP 67.0), an 8,976 ft. signaled siding from Reeves (MP 67.8, 40 mph on the turnout) to Pinson (MP 69.6, 40 mph on the turnout), a 6-car dual-ended spur at Shannon (MP 71.1), a restriction to 55 mph on curves between MP 74.6 and MP 78.3, a detector at MP 75.0, and. Berwin (MP 75.1)
A 15,418 ft. 25 mph siding runs from Forrestville (MP 77.0, 40 mph on the turnout), where the rump of a line from Gadsden, AL, and the connection from the rump of the former C of G line from Chattanooga, trails in from the west at a wye on that side, there is a yard, and the line continues southwest, past Fox (MP 78.1), south end of the wye with the Gadsden line, followed by a 40 mph speed limit on street crossings from MP 78.0 to MP 81.0 and curves from MP 78.3 to MP 80.1, a road bridge overhead, to Rome (MP 79.7, 40 mph on the turnout), south end of the siding, and a now filled-in trestle, whose abutments are quite visible from the lower track level, over an erstwhile NC&St.L branch, a bridge over a road, a multi-span deck girder bridge over the Etowah River, a 45 mph speed limit on curves from MP 80.1 to MP 83.7, a former flat crossing at K Tower with an erstwhile C of G line, Smith (MP 81.2), where a 12,457 ft. 25 mph signaled siding starts, and Atlanta Junction, where a Southern line to Anniston once left on the west side and the line turns curvily south.
There is 40 mph speed limit on curves from MP 83.7 to 84.1, past Lindale (MP 83.9), where the siding ends, a detector at MP 83.9, a 45 mph speed limit on curves from MP 84.1 to MP 86.8, a spur to a mill at Silver Creek (MP 84.3), where there was once another flat crossing with the erstwhile C of G line, a 40 mph speed limit on curves from MP 86.8 to MP 88.0, a 35 mph speed limit on curves from MP 88.0 to MP 89.2, a 40 mph speed limit on curves from MP 89.2 to MP 89.9, and a 50 mph speed limit on curves from MP 89.9 to MP 91.7, Brice (MP 90.1), where there is a short extra track and a 9,036 ft. 40 mph signaled siding starts, a 40 mph speed limit on curves from MP 91.7 to MP 92.5, Green (MP 92.0), where the siding ends and a former C of G line, to Cedartown and power plants at Wansley and Yates, curves away west as the main line turns east, past 35 mph speed limit on curves from MP 92.5 to MP 93.1, Seney, a 45 mph speed limit on curves from MP 93.1 to MP 95.3, a detector at MP 95.2 as the line turns southeast, a 55 mph speed limit on curves from MP 95.3 to MP 98.4, where the line turns south, and Aragon (MP 98.3), where a 14,025 ft. 25 mph signaled siding starts.
The line continues south, with a 40 mph speed limit on curves from MP 100.0 to MP 100.4, and a 45 mph speed limit on curves from MP 100.4 to MP 101.1, past a spur to a cement plant at MP 100.5, a 40 mph speed limit on curves from MP 101.1 to MP 101.7, Perkins (MP 101.2), where the siding ends, there is a short extra track, and a connecting track to a former Seaboard Air Line branch on the east side of the line, Ollie, a 45 mph speed limit on curves on a ledge along the hillside from MP 101.7 to MP 102.0, Rockmart (MP 101.8), where there is a grade crossing and a spur, and a bridge over the former SAL branch as the line turns curvily east, a 50 mph speed limit on curves from MP 102.0 to MP 103.4, as the line climbs the north side of Braswell Mountain, a 45 mph speed limit on curves from MP 103.4 to MP 107.9, a detector at MP 105.7 as the line turns south, Finch (MP 107.1), the top of a grade at Braswell Mountain, where an 11,885 ft. 20 mph east-side siding starts and the line turns south-southeast, deep in the forest, a 40 mph speed limit on curves from MP 107.9 to MP 109.1, as the line turns east-northeast, in a cutting (bypassing the former line through a tunnel), a signal bridge over both tracks, and a grade crossing in the siding just north of Braswell (MP 109.0), the bottom of the grade, where the siding ends and the line turns curvily east along this twisting route through the wooded hills.
There is a 30 mph speed limit on curves from MP 109.2 to MP 118.2, Rogers, where the line turns curvily south, Roy (MP 111.1), where a 10,993 ft. 15 mph signaled siding starts, McPherson (MP 113.4), where the siding ends and there is a short extra track, a turn curvily east, and then curvily southeast, a reduction in the curves leading to a 50 mph speed limit on curves from MP 118.2 to MP 131.9, Dallas (MP 118.8), where there is a grade crossing over the main and a spur, a road bridge overhead, a grade crossing, Oak (MP 122.6), where a 14,330 ft. 25 mph signaled siding starts, a deck girder bridge that once carried an erstwhile former SAL line overhead, a turn to the east and then to the south, a road bridge overhead, a grade crossing, Hiram, as the hills almost end and the line turns east again, Clark (MP 125.6), where the siding ends, a turn south and then east again, Powder Springs, where the line turns just east of south, a 55 mph speed limit on curves from MP 131.9 to MP 134.4, a detector at MP 132.8, where the line turns east-southeast, MP 133.4, where there is a 30 mph speed restriction for certain northbound trains, MP 133.5, where a 35 mph speed restriction on street crossing starts for the town of Austell, with otherwise a 45 mph speed limit on curves from MP 134.4 to MP 134.7, two grade crossings over both lines, and Austell (MP 134.7), where the single track line from Birmingham trails in from the west-southwest and double track, CTC, starts on the combined line heading east-northeast.