At the crossovers at CP 359 (MP 359.2), the line turns east with speed limits 79-70-60-50. From this vicinity to Albany, the tracks follow closely the route of the Erie Canal, which at times is right alongside the rails (sometimes in the guise of the Mohawk River), passing yard tracks to the south, a road bridge overhead, Wayneport Junction, where the West Shore line once headed east-southeast, Wayneport (MP 358.2), Intermediate Signals at MP 356.x, a grade crossing, Intermediate Signals on a signal bridge at North Macedon (MP 353.6), a bridge over a road, Intermediate Signals at Walworth (MP 351.9), a turn southeast, a grade crossing, MP 351 (passenger)/350.8 (freight), where the speeds drop to 65-60-50, MP 350.0, where the passenger speed goes back up to 75 mph, two grade crossings, a road alongside to the south, crossovers and signal bridges (showing the line was once four tracks, as do all other signal bridges along here) at CP 349 (MP 349.9), a turn east and then south across the Erie Canal, a road bridge overhead, Intermediate Signals on a signal bridge at Palmyra (MP 348.5), where there are rail-served silos on the north side, a dirt road grade crossing, a grade crossing, MP 346, detectors at MP 345.0 ("Palmyra, NY"), a grade crossing, Intermediate Signals on a signal bridge at MP 344.5, where freight speeds go back up to 70-60-50, a turn east, crossovers at CP 342 (MP 342.5), a bridge overhead that once carried a PRR line north to Sodus Point, Intermediate Signals at MP 341.x, Newark (MP 341.1), where the Ontario Midland line, now using that ex-PRR line to the north of here, trails in from the northwest, crossovers at CP 340 (MP 340.4), a road bridge overhead, a through truss bridge over the Erie Canal, MP 339, a road bridge overhead, Intermediate Signals on a signal bridge (MP 338.x), a road alongside to the north, MP 338, MP 337, a road bridge overhead, two grade crossings, crossovers at CP 335 (MP 335.8), where the Corning Secondary turns away south and a 5,750 ft. siding starts, Lyons (MP 335.6), where the line turns east-northeast, crossovers at CP 334 (MP 334.9), where the siding ends and there are 3-4 yard tracks on the north side, then two extra tracks to an industry on the north side east of a through truss bridge, detectors at "Lyons, NY", a grade crossing, Intermediate Signals on a signal bridge at MP 334.x, where speeds drop to 65-50-40, Lock Berlin on the Erie Canal alongside to the south, Intermediate Signals at MP 333.x, a turn east, Intermediate Signals on a signal bridge at MP 332.6, where speeds rise to 79-60-50, past Intermediate Signals at MP 331.x, as far as MP 330.0, where they drop to 70-60-50, crossovers at CP 329 (MP 329.4), a road bridge overhead, a turn southeast, Intermediate Signals on a signal bridge at Clyde (MP 328.6), MP 328.0, where speeds revert to 79-70-60-50, a grade crossing, crossovers at CP 326 (MP 326.7), and a turn back to the east, with the Erie Canal alongside to the south.
The line continues past Intermediate Signals at MP 324.x, detectors at MP 323.6 ("Savannah, NY"), a signal bridge for the crossovers, a road bridge overhead, crossovers at CP 323 (MP 323.2), where a 13,400 ft. siding on the north side begins, a signal bridge for the crossovers, a road bridge overhead, Savannah (MP 322.4), crossovers at CP 320 (MP 320.5), where the siding ends, Seneca River (MP 320.0), where the line, on a through truss bridge, crosses that river flowing north out of Seneca and Cayuga Lakes with speeds of 40 mph over the bridge (only), a track trails in from industry on the south side, a grade crossing, Fox Ridge (MP 318.8), Intermediate Signals at MP 318.x, Intermediate Signals at MP 316.x, detectors at MP 316.1 ("Centerport, NY"), a bridge over another river flowing north from another lake, a bridge over a stream, a grade crossing, North Port Byron (MP 315.5), crossovers at CP 313 (MP 313.9), detectors at MP 313.8, a grade crossing, a road bridge overhead, Intermediate Signals on a signal bridge at North Weedsport (MP 312.1), where the line turns southeast, past a dirt track grade crossing, and Intermediate Signals on a signal bridge (MP 310.x), and then curves slowly east again, past bridge abutments and an embankment from an erstwhile rail line (Lehigh Valley, two grade crossings, crossovers and signal bridges at CP 308 (MP 308.7), where there are rail-served grain silos on the north side and an 11,250 ft. siding starts, Jordan (MP 307.7), a bridge over the river north from Skaneatles Lake, a road bridge overhead, and crossovers at CP 306 (MP 306.3), where the siding ends and there are new signals turned sideways in April, 2012. All along here, there is much evidence that this was once a four-track line, including the span of most of the signal bridges.
The line passes Intermediate Signals at MP 304.x, a road bridge overhead, Memphis (MP 302.6), detectors at MP 302.5 ("Memphis, NY"), Intermediate Signals at MP 302.1, a grade crossing, crossovers and signal bridges at CP 300 (MP 300.7), a road bridge overhead, Warners (MP 300.0), three grade crossings with Intermediate Signals at MP 298.x in among them, crossovers and signal bridges (many signal bridges have new Safetran-style signals replacing teh former signals, in April 2012), with a road bridge overhead, at CP 296 (MP 296.8), where a 15,300 ft. siding starts, a bridge over a stream, MP 296, a road bridge overhead, MP 295.0, where freight speeds fall to 60-50, Intermediate Signals at MP 294.x, yard tracks to the north, a road bridge overhead, crossovers at CP 293 (Solvay, MP 293.5), where the siding ends, speed limits fall to 60-50, and the line from Auburn trails in from the southwest, NRHS Central NY Chapter's rolling-stock collection is in the NY State Fairgrounds on the north side, the former Lackawanna line bridges overhead with connectors in the southwest (trailing away southeast) and southeast (trailing in from the south) quadrants, and the line turns northeast to go around the north side of the industrial city of Syracuse, past Carousel Center, the northernmost station on the erstwhile local RDC-run passenger line (which closed in 2008), on the east side just north of the connector.
There is a road bridge overhead, a bridge over a street, dual road bridges overhead, a lake to the north, crossovers at CP 291 (MP 291.5), where the Montreal Secondary Track trails in from the north at a wye on the north side, a road bridge overhead, the signal bridge east of the east leg of the wye, the Syracuse Amtrak station (platform and umbrella shed) on the southeast side of the line, with the depot below on that side of the line, and the parking lot southwest of the depot, a bridge over a street, a signal governing access to the platform track ("Track 7") at CP 290, where there are crossovers, an extra track on the north side, two bridges over streets, a spur trailing in on the south side, a signal bridge, and a track trailing in from the east (southeast side), northeast of the station.
The line turns east, past a bridge over a street, a west-facing spur to industry from the extra track on the north side, a road bridge overhead, and an old locomotive shed on the south side, a container yard on the south side, and curves around to the south, past detectors at MP 288.1, a bridge over a divided street well below, Intermediate Signals at MP 287.x, an east-facing spur trailing into the track on the north side, a road bridge overhead, crossovers at CP 286 (MP 286.6), where speed limits fall to 40-30, two tracks on the north side forming the west access to DeWitt Yard, two road bridges overhead, and crossovers at CP 285 (MP 286.0), where there is a road bridge overhead, a 10,300 ft. north side siding starts and a connector reaches to those two extra tracks beyond the siding, the former location of the Amtrak porta-cabin on the south side of the line at Syracuse (MP 285.5), on the far east side of the city, MP 285.0, where speeds become 79-60-50, a road bridge overhead, the eight-track (or more) DeWitt Yard (MP 284.0) on the north side of the line, a road bridge overhead, and crossovers at CP 283 (MP 283.8).