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 CP 239 (MP 239.1), where a 19,536 ft. siding starts, a road bridge overhead, dual road bridges overhead, CP 237 (MP 237.7), where speed limits fall to 60-50, the west end of the NYS&W yard on the south side, the Susquehanna trails in from the south with the former Lackawanna freight yard along the NYS&W, south of the main, and the Mohawk, Adirondack & Northern (host of the Adirondack Scenic) trails in from the north, with shop and yard tracks on the north side of the line (in the vee of the MA&N), a highway bridge overhead, a road bridge overhead, former New York Central 0-6-0 6721 stuffed-and-mounted on the south side of the line at the west end of the station, the industrial city of Utica (MP 237.5), where the refurbished major brick passenger depot is on the south side of the line, with a footbridge crossing the lines to the north-side track and Adirondack Scenic platform on the north side, east of the depot, and a platform with umbrella sheds on the south side, with an old tower on the north side, east of the station, MP 237.0, where full speed limits resume, with a divided highway alongside to the south, and crossovers at CP 235 (MP 235.4), where the long siding ends with the line running along the north side of the Mohawk River.
After bridge abutments from a long-gone overhead bridge, the line passes more crossovers at CP 234 (MP 234.1), a road bridge overhead, a through truss bridge over the Erie Canal, Intermediate Signals at MP 231.x, a through-truss bridge over the Erie Canal, Harbor, detectors at MP 230.0, a through truss bridge over the Erie Canal, Intermediate Signals at MP 229.x, a dirt track grade crossing, Intermediate Signals at MP 227.x, a grade crossing, a road bridge overhead, crossovers at CP 225 (MP 225.9), where an NYC line once trailed in from the north and speed limits drop to 70-65-60-50, a dirt track grade crossing, the Herkimer Industrial Track on the north side, a highway bridge overhead, Herkimer (MP 223.1), one of many towns along here with old brick freight houses still standing on the north side of the line, a grade crossing, and crossovers at CP 223 (MP 223.0), followed by a curve around to the east-northeast, following the river (alongside), a major highway bridge overhead, a bridge over a road, a road alongside to the south, Intermediate Signals at MP 220.x, a bridge over a tributary, detectors at MP 220.0 ("Herkimer, NY"), Little Falls, where a branch once headed north to Salisbury Center, a curve east-southeast (where the river is not alongside to the south), crossovers at CP 218 (MP 218.3), where a 16,000 ft. north side siding starts and speeds fall to 70-60-50, MP 216.9, where speed limits fall to 65- 50, 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, MP 216.5, where speeds rise to 70-60-50, a road bridge overhead, a bridge over a road at the crossovers at CP 215 (MP 215.1), where the siding ends
The line curves east, past Intermediate Signals at MP 213.x, detectors at MP 211.1, MP 210.5, where full speed limits resume, a curve just east of south, a bridge over a stream, Fort Plain, CP 207 (MP 207.3), where an 18,200 ft. north side siding starts, a bridge over a tributary, speed limits of 70-60-50 between MP 205.9 and 205.4, a bridge over a stream, a road bridge overhead, an old signal bridge, crossovers at CP 203 (MP 203.7), where that siding ends 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, detectors at MP 200.7 ("Fort Plain, NY"), a road alongside to the south, with the river beyond it, MP 199.6, where speed limits fall to 60-50, crossovers at CP 198 (MP 198.8), MP 198.2, where full speed limits resume, a grade crossing, a road bridge over both line and river at Palatine Bridge, crossovers at CP 196 (MP 196.1), where the river is alongside to the south, and Intermediate Signals at MP 193.x, and the line turns east-southeast, still following the river (which is not always immediately alongside to the south), with speed limits of 50-45 between MP 192.8 and 192.5, Intermediate Signals at MP 191.x, detectors at MP 189.9, an old signal bridge, a curve northeast, Intermediate Signals at MP 189.x, a weir on the river on the south side, crossovers at CP 188 (MP 187.9), where a 16,200 ft. north side siding begins, Fonda, where the Fonda, Johnstown & Gloverville Railroad once trailed in from the northwest, two grade crossings, a road bridge overhead, crossovers at CP 184 (MP 184.5), where that siding ends, speed limits of 50 mph from MP 183.0 to 181.5, and 70-60-50 thereafter, and Intermediate Signals at MP 182.x (Tribes Hill), and east-southeast, past MP 180, Fort Johnson, and a bridge over a stream, to Amsterdam (MP 177.6), where there is a platform and depot on the north side of the double-track line, only.
There are detectors at MP 177.4, Intermediate Signals on a signal bridge at MP 177.x, the river alongside to the south, a grade crossing, MP 177, MP 176, a wide road bridge overhead, crossovers and signal bridges at CP 175 (MP 175.5), where a 10,900 ft. north side siding begins, with four extra tracks to its north (Kellogg Yard), SR 5 alongside to the north, two grade crossings, crossovers and signal bridges at CP 173 (MP 173.2), where the siding ends, Intermediate Signals at MP 172.x, MP 172, Intermediate Signals on a signal bridge at MP 171.x, MP 171, and the crossovers and junction at CP 169 (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.