East of the 10,425 ft. south side siding at Sierra Blanca (MP 739.2-737.2, el. 4,519 ft.), where there is extra track on the south side, is the junction where the ex-T&P line to Fort Worth continues straight ahead, and the single-track, CTC, Sunset Route, with speed limit 79-70, turns southeast. There is a bridge over a road below, dual highway bridges (I-10) overhead, Intermediate Signals and a detector at MP 734.5, a bridge over a culvert, Intermediate Signals at MP 732.1, the former location of a detector at MP 729.4, a dirt road grade crossing, the 8,375 ft. south side siding at Mallie (MP 727.0-725.3), mountains off to the southeast, mountains on the north side recede to the northeast, Intermediate Signals at MP 723.1, Bola (MP 722.3), a detector (box on the north side) at MP 721.5, Intermediate Signals at MP 720.1 and 718.1, a dirt road grade crossing, the 9,368 ft. siding on the north side at Hot Wells (MP 715.7-713.7, el. 4,281 ft.), with extra track on the north side near the east end, the former location of a detector at MP 711.5, Intermediate Signals at MP 711.4 and at MP 709.1/.2, Intermediate Signals and a detector at Mica (MP 706.8), where the line turns northeast, a bridge over an arroyo, and the 8,661 ft. siding on the north side at Collado (MP 705.4, where the speed limit is 60 mph, to MP 702.8).
The line turns southeast past Intermediate Signals at MP 700.2/.3, where there are Intermediate Signals, a bridge over a main road below, Intermediate Signals at MP 697.4/.5, a dirt road bridge overhead, and just east of south past Intermediate Signals at Fay (MP 694.1/.2), orchards along the south side, one "field" deep, the 8,394 ft. siding on the south side at Lobo (MP 692.0-690.3, el. 3,942 ft.), where the line starts to climb again, US 90 alongside to the south, Intermediate Signals and a detector at MP 688.2, where the line curves south-southeast, three bridges over arroyos, Intermediate Signals at MP 685.4, three bridges over arroyos, a grade crossing, a bridge over an arroyo, Chispa (MP 683.8), where the line turns southeast, Intermediate Signals and Intermediate Signals at MP 682.6/.7, a bridge over an arroyo, the 8,366 ft. siding on the south side at Wendell (MP 680.5-678.8, el. 4,223 ft.), Intermediate Signals at MP 676.4, three bridges over arroyos, a dirt road grade crossing, four bridges over arroyos, a detector at MP 671.0, and the 8,071 ft. siding on the south side at Valentine (MP 668.8-667.1, el. 4,432 ft.), with extra track on the south side.
The line continues past the locations of former detectors at MPs 665.0 (site of Intermediate Signals) and 663.0, five bridges over arroyos, a dirt road grade crossing, five bridges over arroyos, a grade crossing, an acute angle grade crossing, Intermediate Signals at MP 663.1, a grade crossing, two bridges over arroyos, the 8,399 ft. siding on the north side at Quebec (MP 661.4-660.0, el. 4,625 ft.), with extra track on the north side near the east end, nine bridges over arroyos, Intermediate Signals at MP 657.1, a detector at MP 656.0, Intermediate Signals at MP 654.6, four bridges over arroyos, the 8,362 ft. south side siding at Ryan (MP 652.5-651.8), with a bridge over an arroyo and a dirt road grade crossing within the siding, a bridge over an arroyo, Intermediate Signals at the locations of former detectors at MPs 648.5 and 646.1, five bridges over arroyos, a dirt road grade crossing, four bridges over arroyos, the 8,410 ft. siding on the south side at Aragon (MP 643.8-642.9, el. 4,901 ft.), where the line turns generally east-southeast, away from US 90, and starts to curve back and forth, descending from a local summit, three bridges over arroyos, five dirt road grade crossings, a bridge over an arroyo, Intermediate Signals and a detector at MP 640.0, where the speed limit is 50 mph, Intermediate Signals at MP 636.7, a dirt road grade crossing, Intermediate Signals at the location of a former detector at MP 635.0, two bridges over arroyos, a dirt road grade crossing, a spur departs on the south side, a grade crossing, silos on the south side, two grade crossings, the 8,375 ft. siding on the north side, with footings for the erstwhile depot on the south side, at Marfa (MP 632.0-630.3, el. 4,694 ft.), where the speed limit is 60 mph and the line starts to climb again. The line turns south, across a bridge over an arroyo, and then east-southeast again, with US 90 back on the south side, past a dirt road grade crossing, two bridges over arroyos, a dirt road grade crossing, a detector at MP 626.0, where the speed limit is 79-70, a dirt road grade crossing, three bridges over arroyos, Intermediate Signals at Nopal (MP 625.x), four bridges over arroyos, a dirt road grade crossing, and the location of a former detector at MP 623.0, where the line turns east.
As the line climbs higher towards Paisano Pass, the vegetation gets ever more sparse. Scrub has given way to rocky ground and spiky clumps of “grass". Immediately west of Paisano Pass (highest point on the Sunset Route at 5,074 feet), the line runs through flat (but not level) open country, still sparsely vegetated. The line turns southeast, past a bridge over an arroyo, at the 8,647 ft. siding at Paisano (MP 621.0-619.3, el. 5,074 ft.), where the speed limit is 50-45, and then descends east-northeast. The Texas Pacifico Transportation Company (once Kansas City, Mexico, & Orient) line from the Mexican Border at Presidio trails in from the southwest at Paisano Junction (MP 619.6), where the line turns north, with the mountains finally visible to its east (although the line has already crossed the summit), and into the hilly area, past a detector at MP 618.5, where the speed limit is 70-60, up on an embankment among trees that are thin and scrubby, northeast again at Intermediate Signals at the former location of a detector at MP 617.0, with a road alongside to the east and southeast, east northeast at Toronto, in the mountains, past a detector at MP 615.5, Intermediate Signals at MP 614.9, and at the former location of a detector at MP 612.9, southeast and then east-northeast, with the town on the south side, past the 8,314 ft. north side Alpine Siding (MP 610.7, where the speed limit is 79-60, to MP 609.3, where the speed limit is 50 mph) to Alpine Junction (MP 608.5, el. 4,484 ft.), where the the Texas Pacifico Transportation Company (once Kansas City, Mexico, & Orient) line to San Angelo heads north and the Sunset Route continues straight ahead.