This line, now owned by CSX, has been leased to Amtrak as of December 1, 2012. From the crossovers and junction at CP 169 (Hoffmans, MP 169.9), with a signal bridge overhead and a road alongside to the north, where the two-track Selkirk Branch, used by most freight trains heading for Selkirk Yard, departs on the north side, climbing and bridging overhead on a through girder bridge to head to the southeast, and the passenger line, now single track, continues east-southeast, with speed limits 100-50, past MP 169, two dirt road grade crossings, the rail bridge overhead (above), Intermediate Signals at MP 167W.x, the river alongside to the south, and a road bridge overhead, to MP 165.8, where the line turns southeast, 90-50 past two grade crossings, a road bridge overhead, Intermediate Signals at MP 165.x, a grade crossing, and MP 165 to MP 164.5, where 100-50 resume, past a detector at MP 164.0, a road bridge overhead, Intermediate Signals at MP 163.x, three grade crossings, Intermediate Signals at MP 161.x, Scotia (MP 161.3), where speed limits drop to 70-30, a connection to the Delaware & Hudson curves north-northeast and the main line turns south, a road bridge overhead, MP 161, a former rail bridge overhead, and a road bridge overhead, a through girder bridge across the Mohawk River, MP 160.3, where the speed limit drops to 50-30, past two bridges over roads, a through truss bridge over a road, crossovers at CP 160 (MP 159.9), where the D&H trails in from the northeast, the speed limit drops to 30 mph, and a 15,750 ft. north side siding starts, a through truss bridge over a river and a through girder bridge over a road, the island platform with an umbrella shed on the elevated line for the passenger station (with depot and parking lot below on the south side) at Schenectady (MP 159.8), and crossovers at CP 159 (MP 159.6), where the speed limit rises to 55-30 the D&H leaves on the east side before descending and passing below. There is a road bridge overhead, a bridge over a street, and the General Electric plant is close by on the west side of the line, followed by a bridge over a street and a road bridge overhead.
The line curves southeast, past MP 158.0, where the speed limit rises to 90-30, Intermediate Signals at MP 157.x, and a road bridge overhead, and passes beneath the Carman Branch, which then descends to join on the north side at the crossovers at CP 156 (MP 156.5), where the 15,750 ft. siding ends, passing three road bridges overhead, MP 156.3, where the speed limits rise to 100-50, two grade crossings, Intermediate Signals at MP 153.x, Karner, a road bridge overhead, a grade crossing, dual highway bridges overhead, Intermediate Signals at MP 151.x, West Albany (where the line southeast to Albany Union Station once continued straight ahead (on the south side), and today's line turns east-southeast, Intermediate Signals at MP 149.x, MP 149.0, where the speed limits falls to 90-50, a through girder bridge over a street, CP 146 (MP 146.9), where the speed limit falls to 60-50, a road bridge overhead, a wide road bridge overhead, 6-8 yard tracks on the north side, an Interstate Highway on the north side, a road bridge overhead, a bridge over a stream, Intermediate Signals at MP 145.x, Rock Cut (MP 145.2), where the speed limit falls to 40-25, a road bridge overhead, triple highway bridges overhead, a through girder bridge over a street, crossovers at CP 145 (MP 143.6), a through truss bridge over a street, a connector to the D&H heading away on the south side, a through girder bridge over the D&H.
There are two bridges over streets, dual highway bridges overhead, a bridge over a road on the west bank of the Hudson, and the speed limit is 25 mph across the multi-span through truss bridge over the Hudson River with the movable span at the west end, crossovers at LAB (MP 143.1), on the east side of the bridge, where the Troy Industrial Track trails in from the north at a wye and the main line turns south, with speed limit 20 mph, past Amtrak shops on the west side of the line, crossovers at CP 144 (MP 142.4), where the passenger track starts with storage sidings on the east side, the speed limit falls to 15 mph, an angled road bridge overhead, and crossovers at CP 143 (MP 142.2), where an additional passenger track and main track on the west side start at the north end of the east side and island high-level platforms of the station at Albany-Rensselaer (MP142.1), where there is a road bridge above the platforms and the two-storey depot is on the east side of the line, with a footbridge overhead. Both the current depot and the high-level platforms are new since 2000. (The old depot still stands, just north of the north end of the high level platforms and the road bridge overhead.)
Albany (New York State's capital) is actually on the other side of the Hudson river. Albany-Rensselaer is the point at which the Boston and New York City sections of the Lake Shore Limited split (going East) or join (going West).