From the junction with the former C&O passenger line, trailing in from the south at Orange (MP 84.7), where there is an extra track, the C&O had trackage rights over the Southern into Washington DC, over a route now shared by Amtrak's Southern Crescent and Cardinal. The line is double track, heading curvily north-northeast, with overall speed limit 79-60-50, but 30 mph through the junction, 40 mph on curves to MP 83.0, past three grade crossings in Orange, north of the junction, a bridge over a stream, a dirt track grade crossing, and then 60-50 on curves, Intermediate Signals at North Owen, two dirt road grade crossings, a bridge over the Rapidan River, a bridge over a road below, and two dirt road grade crossings, reducing to single track at Rapidan (MP 80.0), with speed limit 45-40 through the turnout, and then 55-50 on curves, past two grade crossings, a spur on the west side, a spur trailing in on the west side, a grade crossing, and a detector at MP 79.2, to MP 79.0, where full line speeds resume. The line passes Intermediate Signals at MP 78.x, a grade crossing at Scotty's Tavern, a road bridge overhead, Intermediate Signals at Mitchell, double track resumes at Winston (MP 70.8), with speed limit 45-40 through the turnout, and speeds on curves of 55-50 to MP 69.0 and 40 mph thence.
There is extra tack on the east side, a spur serving a wood products facility on the east side, Intermediate Signals at Gosant, a grade crossing, Culpeper (MP 67.4), where there is a brick depot on the west side and an extra track, past a grade crossing north of the station, a street alongside to the west, a spur off to the northwest, on the west side north of the station, and the line turns east-northeast to MP 67.0, where full speeds resume, past a road bridge overhead, spurs to industry on the west side, and another spur to industry on the west side, reducing to single track at Mountain Run (MP 66.0), with speed limit 45-40 through the turnout, past a grade crossing, a bridge over an Interstate highway, a road alongside to the west, detectors at MP 64.4, Intermediate Signals at Inlet, a bridge over a stream, a spur on the west side to a lumber yard, Intermediate Signals at Brandy, a grade crossing, Intermediate Signals at Elkwood, and a grade crossing, bridging over the Rappahannock River on a through truss bridge, past a spur on the west side, a grade crossing, and a bridge over a stream, to Remington (MP 56.3), where double track resumes with speed limit 45-40 through the turnout, and there is an extra track, with speeds 60-50 over the bridge and on the curve where the line turns northeast.
The line continues past a road alongside to the west, two grade crossings, a spur trailing in on the west side, a grade crossing, Intermediate Signals on a signal bridge at Bealeton, where housing starts, a dirt road grade crossing, a grade crossing, a road bridge overhead, a spur trailing in on the east side, a detector at MP 52.5, open fields, Intermediate Signals at Midland (signal bridge), two grade crossings, a bridge over a stream, a dirt road grade crossing, Intermediate Signals at Licking Run, a dirt road grade crossing, two grade crossings, and a spur and wye on the west side, Calverton (MP 46.3), where the line reduces to single track (but a second track to Nokesville is under construction, from June 2009) with speed limit 45-40 through the turnout, there is an extra track, and a branch trails in from the northwest, a grade crossing, a bridge over a river well below, a spur on the west side, a grade crossing, a dirt road grade crossing at the Intermediate Signals at Catlett, where the speed limit is briefly 65-50, a bridge over a stream, a grade crossing, Intermediate Signals at Kettle Run, a grade crossing in a town, a detector at MP 39.4, extra track on the east side, Nokesville (MP 39.1), where double track resumes with speed limit 45-40 through the turnout, a grade crossing, Bristow (MP 36.6), where there are crossovers and an extra track, a VRE yard on the east side, a grade crossing, signals at South Manassas, a grade crossing, a bridge over a stream, dual road bridge overhead, MP 35, a grade crossing, signals and crossovers at Powell, where the south leg of the Manassas Junction wye turns away to the west, three yard tracks on the west side and four yard tracks on the east side, a grade crossing within the wye, and a bridge over a road below, to Manassas Junction (MP 33.0), west of Manassas, where the line to Front Royal and Strasburg heads north and then west at the second leg of the wye (which departs behind the yard tracks on the west side), while the main line turns east.