There is a 9,597 ft. siding on the Sunset Route at Flatonia (MP 122.0-120.0, el. 452 ft., where the speed limit is 50 mph). Flatonia is the location of a major intersection both on the former SP and today's UP, where a major freight flow turns away north at the flat crossing with connectors in the northwest and southeast quadrants. The line to the north is the former San Antonio and Aransas Pass line to Hearne and the Cotton Belt connection at Corsicana, whose importance can be judged from the fact that the Flatonia subdivision turns away from the Sunset Route to head northwards to Hearne.
In May, 2012, a new siding is being cinstructed on the south side, somewhere between Flatonia and Eagle Lake.
The Sunset Route continues due east, single-track, CTC, speed limit 60 mph, past a concrete pad for the former depot on the north side, a street alongside to the north, in town, four grade crossings, a dirt track grade crossing, MP 118, a bridge over drainage, a grade crossing, a bridge over drainage, a dirt track grade crossing, Intermediate Signals at Eagle, US 90 alongside to the north, a grade crossing, two dirt track grade crossings, a bridge over three culverts, a bridge over a dirt road, two dirt track grade crossings, a bridge over a minor road, a minor road to the south, a detector at MP 109.5, two through girder bridges over streams, extra tack on the south side, two grade crossings, an old depot on the south side at Schulenburg (MP 107.1, el. 345 ft.), two grade crossings, a bridge over a street, two grade crossings that also cross extra track on the south side, a spur curving away south to industry, a narrow road alongside to the south, and a dirt track grade crossing in town.
The line turns north-northeast, past a through truss bridge over a stream, and then east again, past a dirt track grade crossing, an angled grade crossing, dual road bridges overhead, the 10,779 ft. south side siding at Weimar (MP 101.0-99.0), where there is first no road alongside to the south, and then a minor road alongside to the south, and two grade crossings in town within the siding, a line heading away south, three grade crossings, a bridge over a minor road, a road alongside to the south (US 90), a grade crossing, Borden, a bridge over an angled highway (US 90?), a minor road to the south, a bridge over a stream, a detector at MP 93.9, two dirt road grade crossings, a road alongside to the south, a dirt road grade crossing, the 16,100 ft. north side siding at Glidden (MP 89.3-86.5, el. 234 ft.), where the speed limit is 40 mph, and a line from La Grange once trailed in from the north, with two dirt road grade crossings, a road alongside to the south, a dirt road grade crossing and a bridge over a stream, within the siding, a detector at MP 86.0, a grain silo on the south side, a street passing beneath, sixteen grade crossings in town (Columbus), an old freight depot on the north side of the line in Columbus, and a bridge over a stream.
The line bridges over the Colorado River, with a through truss bridge, at the east end of Columbus, where the speed limit rises to 60-55 and there are many grade crossings, passes a dual highway bridge overhead, through an area of fields bordered by trees, with trees bordering the line on the south side, a detector at MP 81.4, and turns southeast at Alleyton (MP 80.5), where the speed limit rises to 70-60, past many grade crossings, Laban, Jay Ray, a detector at MP 75.4, and Ramsey (MP 74.0). The fields are now larger, with fewer trees.
Another San Antonio & Aransas Pass line comes alongside on the southwest side, with interconnections at Eagle Lake (MP 71.3, el. 174 ft.), whence there is a 1,016 ft. siding, with extra track on the south side, to MP 69.3, where the speed limit falls to 55 mph. The other line curves away to the south at the east end of Eagle Lake siding. The town is east of the siding, on at least the south side of the line, with the old depot on the south side, with many grade crossings within the town, and a road alongside to the south, east of the town. The lines then join at Eagle Lake Junction (MP 68.3), where the SA&AP line once crossed at grade and made its own way east into Houston, and there was once a flat crossing with a Santa Fe line between Sealy and Bay City. The Sunset Route turns east-southeast, with speed limit 70-60, past grade crossings, Intermediate Signals at MP 65.x, Gene, the 8,700 ft. siding on the south side at Lissie (MP 63.3-61.5), with grade crossings at the west end and within the siding, a bridge over a stream, a detector at New Philadelphia (MP 57.2), where there is town at least on the south side, with a highway alongside to the south, more grade crossings, Nottawa, and a bridge over a stream, and then turns just north of east past more grade crossings, Intermediate Signals near MP 54, Intermediate Signals at MP 50.8, a grade crossing just west of the 8,731 ft. siding on the south side at East Bernard (MP 49.4-47.3, el. 126 ft.), a grade crossing (SR 60) just east of the siding, the former location of a detector just east of that siding, a bridge over drainage, trees along the south side of the road, two bridges over drainage, Intermediate Signals near MP 43, Taverer, open fields, a detector at MP 42.5, a bridge over drainage, Intermediate Signals near MP 41, Randon, a grade crossing, a road bridge overhead, a dirt road grade crossing, a bridge over drainage, a grade crossing, Intermediate Signals at MP 39.2, a grade crossing, and the 10,587 ft. siding on the north side at Rosenberg (MP 38.4-36.4), with the speed limit dropping to 50-40 at the east end, a dirt road grade crossing just within the west end of the siding, a dirt road grade crossing, a bridge over a road east of the siding, and the road to the south turning away.
At Tower 17 (MP 36.3, el. 107 ft.) in Rosenberg, there is extra track on the south side, a former Galveston, Harrisburg, & San Antonio line from Wharton trails in from the southwest, along with a former GH&SA line from Damon, which trailed in from the south. There is also a flat crossing with the double track Santa Fe main line between Temple and Galveston, which turns along the south side of the Sunset Route for a few miles, as the latter curves east-northeast.