From the erstwhile Ulster & Delaware and Ontario & Western connections on the west side, the start of the Walkill Industrial Track (formerly the erstwhile New York Central line to Campbell Hall), heading away on the west side, at Kingston (MP 88.0), and the end of the Controlled Siding at CP-87 (MP 87.6), the River Line turns south-southeast, single track, Rule 261, maximum speed 50 mph (but with local 35 mph speed restriction to MP 86.4), past Port Ewen, turning just east of due south, past a detector at Hercules (MP 84.4), Ulster Park, MP 80, where the maximum speed drops to 45 mph, Esopus, and West Park, where it reaches the river bank again, turning souyth, past Highland (MP 72.3), where the Poughkeepsie Bridge soars overhead, the start of an 11,065 ft. west-side Controlled Siding at CP-69 (MP 69.3), Milton (MP 68.0), the end of the Controlled Siding at CP-66 (MP 67.0), a 35 mph speed restriction, from MP 65.9 to MP 65.7, and Marlborough (MP 64.6).
The line turns south-southwest, following the river bank, past an east-side siding at CP-63 (MP 63.0), and Roseton (MP 61.0), south past a 35 mph speed restriction, from MP 58 to MP 56.5, Newburgh (MP 56.2), where an erstwhile Erie line to Hudson Junction once left on the west side, and the start of the 16,680 ft. east-side Controlled Siding (30 mph on the siding) at CP-55 (MP 55.7), where the Newburgh Industrial Track trails into the north end of the siding, with the Warex Private Crossing (MP 55.6), within the siding, just west of due south, past the end of the Controlled Siding at CP-52 (MP 52.5), where the maximum speed drops to 30 mph, and southeast, still following the river bank, past Cornwall-on-Hudson, where the erstwhile New York, Ontario & Western once trailed in from the west, from Middletown.