The entire line is four track, current-of-traffic (Rule-251), with the two centre tracks westbound and the two outer tracks eastbound, passenger tracks to the south, freight tracks to the north.
There are 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). The double track line heads east, past Intermediate Signals on a signal bridge at MP 282.x, a grade crossing, Minoa, Intermediate Signals at Kirkville (MP 280.1), a road alongside to the south, a grade crossing, detectors at MP 280.0 ("Kirkville, NY"), where the speed limits become 79-70-60-50, a dirt track grade crossing, crossovers and signal bridges at CP 278 (MP 278.4), where the siding on the north side ends, a grade crossing, Intermediate Signals at MP 274.x, Sullivan, Intermediate Signals at MP 272.x, three grade crossings, crossovers at CP 270 (MP 270.3), two bridges over streets in town, Canastota (MP 269.0), where the Lehigh Valley line to Oswego once crossed at grade, Intermediate Signals at MP 268.x, MP 268, a road bridge overhead, Wampsville, where the West Shore once connected in (with a track still visible along the right-of-way) and out again, and the line turns east-northeast, crossovers at CP 266 (MP 266.0), where a 10,700ft. siding on the south side starts, a road bridge overhead, Oneida, where the Ontario & Western once crossed at grade, a grade crossing, the siding ends. and crossovers at CP 263 (MP 263.8), with a grade crossing between the crossovers.
The line turns northeast, past two grade crossings, detectors at MP 262.2 ("Oneida, NY"), a grade crossing, MP 262, a grade crossing, Intermediate Signals at MP 261.x, two road bridges overhead, two grade crossings, crossovers and signal bridges at CP 257 (MP 257.0), a grade crossing, a dirt road grade crossing, and MP 255.0. Freight speeds fall to 60-50, and east-northeast again, past Intermediate Signals at MP 253.x, a bridge over a road below, crossovers at CP 251 (MP 251.6), and an old signal bridge, to Rome (MP 251.3), where there is an island platform with a shelter, between the tracks, and the depot is on the south side and at a lower level, the line turns southeast as a line from the northwest once trailed in (and is still physically present) and an Ontario & Western branch once left to the south-southeast, past a road below, a grade crossing, Intermediate Signals at MP 250.0, where full speeds resume, and dual road bridges overhead. There is a through-truss bridge, crossovers at CP 248 (MP 248.2), a grade crossing, an old signal bridge, Intermediate Signals at MP 246.x, a dirt road grade crossing, a road bridge overhead, Intermediate Signals at MP 243.x, Oriskany, MP 242.9, where speed limits fall to 70-60-50 as far as MP 242.6, past a road bridge overhead, across the bridge over the Mohawk River.
There are Intermediate Signals at MP 241.x, detectors at MP 241.4 ("Wikesboro, NY"), a grade crossing, a road bridge overhead, Wikesboro, a dirt road grade crossing, signal bridges and crossovers at SS-31 ("WU"), where the tower is on the north side, a road bridge overhead, dual road bridges overhead, the west end of the DL&W yard on the south side, the Lackawanna trails in from the south with the Lackawanna freight yard along the DL&W, south of the main, and the NYC St. Lawrence Division trails in from the north, with shop and yard tracks on the north side of the line (in the vee of the St. Lawrence Division), a highway bridge overhead, a road bridge overhead, , the industrial city of Utica (MP 237.5), where the major brick passenger depot is on the south side of the line, along with four passenger tracks, with a footbridge crossing the lines to the north-side track and four more passenger tracks on the north side, east of the depot, with a tower SS-30 ("UA") on the north side, east of the station, a highway alongside to the south, and crossovers at the east end of the passenger tracks with the line running along the north side of the Mohawk River.
Just before the overhead bridge for the connector from the north side to the West Shore Line, the line passes more crossovers at SS-29 ("J", Schuyler Junction), where the tower is on the north side and the West Shore Line runs briefly alongside to the south, a road bridge overhead, a through truss bridge over the Erie Canal, Intermediate Signals, a through-truss bridge over the Erie Canal, Harbor, a through truss bridge over the Erie Canal, Intermediate Signals, a dirt track grade crossing, Intermediate Signals, a grade crossing, a road bridge overhead, North Ilion, a dirt track grade crossing, a branch heading away to Herkimer on the north side, a highway bridge overhead, Herkimer with a brick freight house on the north side of the line, a grade crossing, and crossovers at SS-26 (KI), where the interlocking is in the passenger station on the south side, with the NYC Adirondack Branch heading away north, east of the second set of crossovers, followed by a curve around to the east-northeast, following the river (alongside), a bridge over a road, a road alongside to the south, Intermediate Signals, a bridge over a tributary, crossovers and a spur on the north side at Little Falls, where a branch heads north to Salisbury Center, a curve east-southeast (where the river is not alongside to the south), locks on the river to the south, a road alongside to the south, a road bridge overhead, a siding to a rail-served industry on the south side, a road bridge overhead, and a bridge over a road
The line curves east, past Intermediate Signals, crossovers at SS-22, a passenger station on th south side at St. Johnsvillea curve just east of south, a bridge over a stream, crossovers at "FW", a passenger station on the south side and spurs both north and south at Fort Plain ("RN"), a bridge over a tributary, , a bridge over a stream, a road bridge overhead, an old signal bridge, with the line headed east, a bridge over a tributary, curving northeast, past a weir on the river alongside to the south, a road bridge overhead, a road alongside to the south, with the river beyond it, a passenger station on the south side and crossovers at SS-19 (tower to the south), a grade crossing, a road bridge over both line and river at Palatine Bridge, where the river is alongside to the south, and the line turns east-southeast, still following the river (which is not always immediately alongside to the south), track pans on the south pair of tracks, water columns on all four tracks at York, Intermediate Signals on a signal bridge, a curve northeast, a weir on the river on the south side, crossovers at SS-16 ("VN"), tower to the south, a yard on the north side at Fonda, where the Fonda, Johnstown & Gloverville Railroad trails in from the northwest, two grade crossings, a road bridge overhead, , and Intermediate Signals at Tribes Hill, and east-southeast, past MP 180, a spur on the north side at Fort Johnson, and a bridge over a stream, to Amsterdam (MP 177.6), where there is a platform and depot, crossovers between the north pai of tracks, and a yard on the north side of the line.
There Intermediate Signals on a signal bridge at MP 177.x, the river alongside to the south, a grade crossing, crossovers and signal bridges on the north pair of tracks, with four extra tracks to its north (Kellogg Yard), SR 5 alongside to the north, two grade crossings, , and the crossovers and junction at Hoffmans, SS-11 ("NA"), with tower between the two pairs of tracks, 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 double track passenger line, with a single track freight line alongside to the north, continues east-southeast.