The former Southern line from Louisville trails into the former CNO&TP line from Lexington and Cincinnati from the northwest at SJ Tower (MP 113.3, 40 mph on the turnout), just south of Faulconer, where there are crossovers (40 mph on the crossovers). The CNO&TP line continues south, Two Main Tracks, Automatic Block Signals, Traffic Control, maximum speed 60 mph for intermodals and 50 mph for freights, but with local restriction to 55-50 on curves from MP 113.4 to MP 116.4, past DV Tower, where Yard Limits start with speed limit 30 mph as far as MP 118.3, into Danville (MP 116.6), where the depot is on the east side of the line and the Danville Yard on the west side, turning southwest with double track and crossovers at the end of Yard Limits at South Danville (MP 118.3), and then south again, past a speed restriction to 50 mph on curves between MP 118.8 and MP 119.0, detectors and crossovers at Junction City (MP 120.8, 40 mph on the turnout), through moderate hills with gentle curves, to Junction City, where an east-west L&N line once crossed at grade.
At Bowen (MP 123.4, 40 mph on the turnout), where single track starts, the line edges south-southwest, and then south again past Moreland, turning southeast past a detector at MP 128.7, a restriction to 55-50 on curves between MP 130.1 and MP 130.5, Palm (MP 130.2, 40 mph on the turnout), where it turns south-southeast and double track starts again, McKinney, crossovers at Geneva (MP 132.4, 40 mph on the turnout), where it turns south, a restriction to 50-45 on curves between MP 134.3 and MP 134.7, the resumption of single track at South Fork (MP 134.8, 40 mph on the turnout), where it turns south-southeast again, a restriction to 55-50 on curves between MP 135.0 and MP 135.2, a restriction to 40 mph on curves between MP 135.2 and MP 136, a restriction to 50-45 on curves between MP 136 and MP 137.1, Sunrise Creek Trestle, a restriction to 55-50 on curves between MP 137.6 and MP 141.1, a detector at MP 138.9 on a section of line relocated away from some former tunnels, and King's Mountain, where a Cincinnati & Kentucky Southern line once trailed in on the west side and double track starts again at Kings Mountain (MP 139.2, 40 mph on the turnout).
The line heads just east of due south, past crossovers at Waynesburg (MP 142.1, 40 mph on the turnouts), Eubank, crossovers at Gradison (MP 148.7, 40 mph on the turnouts), a restriction to 55-50 on curves between MP 150.4 and MP 150.7, detectors at MP 151.8, Science Hill, a restriction to 50-45 on curves between MP 152.5 and MP 156.9, crossovers at Norwood (MP 154.8, 40 mph on the turnout), a restriction to 55-50 on curves between MP 156.9 and MP 158.9, Pulaski, a detector at MP 157.8 on the curvy section, a restriction to 50-45 on curves between MP 158.9 and MP 159.2, a restriction to 50 mph on curves between MP 159.2 and MP 160.2, a restriction to 40 mph on curves between MP 160.2 and MP 160.5, and a restriction to 55-50 on curves between MP 160.5 and MP 161.9, into Somerset (MP 160.9), where the line is briefly headed south-southeast.
Continuing south, the line passes the resumption of single track at Woods (Ferguson Shops, MP 161.9, 40 mph on the turnout), a detector at MP 163.1, a restriction to 45 mph on curves between MP 163.2 and MP 163.5, a restriction to 40 mph on curves between MP 163.5 and MP 163.7, and Elihu, turning south-southwest past a restriction to 55-50 on curves between MP 165.3 and MP 166.2, a restriction to 45 mph on curves between MP 166.2 and MP 168.1, and the start of Two Main Tracks at Grove (MP 166.3, 40 mph on the turnout) and then south-southeast past Burnside (MP 167.5) and across the long Cumberland River Bridge (55 mph on the bridge for intermodals) over an arm of Lake Cumberland.
The line turns south again past a restriction to 40 mph on curves between MP 168.1 and MP 168.9, the end of 2MT at Tateville (MP 169.8, 40 mph on the turnout), where a lengthy single-track 1963 relocation, away from a more easterly segment through four erstwhile tunnels and Sloans Valley, begins, curving south-southeast and then south again, through deep cuts with road bridges overhead at Cave Springs Road, ??, and Sheldon Road, past a detector at MP 175.5, and then east past KD Tower (MP 177.5, 40 mph on the turnout), where Two Main Tracks start again, a restriction to 35 mph on curves between MP 179.5 and MP 180.0, a restriction to 40 mph on curves between MP 180.0 and MP 181.0, and the end of the relocation at Greenwood, where it turns south again, to the end of 2MT at Cumberland Falls (MP 181.5, 40 mph on the turnout).
Another single track 1963 relocation bypasses two more tunnels on a segment further east than the relocated line, which passes a restriction to 55-50 on curves between MP 186.5 and MP 187.3, a restriction to 40 mph on curves between MP 187.3 and MP 187.7, a restriction to 55-50 on curves between MP 187.7 and MP 188.2, and a detector at MP 188.3 before the end of the relocation at Flat Rock, and thence south past Marsh, a restriction to 55-50 on curves between MP 189.6 and MP 190.1, Whitley (MP 190.4, 40 mph on the turnout), where 2MT start again, and a restriction to 50mph on curves between MP 192.0 and MP 192.5, to Stearns (MP 192.5).
Here, the former Kentucky & Tennessee heads away to the west while the main line turns south-southeast past a restriction to 50-45 on curves between MP 192.5 and MP 193.0, a restriction to 50 mph on curves between MP 193.0 and MP 193.3, a restriction to 40 mph on curves between MP 193.3 and MP 194.4, a restriction to 45 mph on curves between MP 194.4 and MP 194.8, Revilo (MP 194.7, 40 mph on the turnout), a restriction to 50 mph on curves between MP 194.8 and MP 195.2, and a restriction to 55-50 on curves between MP 195.5 and MP 195.7, south at Pine Knot past Silerville and detectors at MP 201.1 and across the Kentucky-Tennessee state line to crossovers at Ratliff (MP 202.4, 40 mph on the turnout), south-southwest past a restriction to 55-50 on curves between MP 203.4 and MP 203.7, Winfield, west past a restriction to 50 mph on curves between MP 205.2 and MP 206.0, a restriction to 45-40 on curves between MP 206.1 and MP 206.4, Bear Creek, and a restriction to 45 mph on curves between MP 207.7 and MP 208.0, and southwest to Oneida (MP 209.4), where the Oneida & Western once headed west, and the former Tennessee Railroad, now an NS branch line, still heads away south.
The "Rathole" continues southwest, past crossovers at Pemberton (MP 211.5, 40 mph on the turnouts), aka "High Point", the highest point on the Rathole, and detectors at MP 211.8, and a restriction to 55-50 on curves between MP 211.9 and MP 212.3, and then turns south, to Helenwood (MP 215.3), where it turns south-southwest, and the end of 2MT at Phillips (MP 215.4, 40 mph on the turnout), where a branch that once formed the main line heads south while the single track post-1963 main line, taking a more westerly course across the massive steel deck truss, with concrete piers, New River Bridge at MP 218, later turns west-southwest before turning south again past the resumption of 2MT at Robbins (MP 221.9, 40 mph on the turnout), where the pre-1963 routing trails in on the east side.
There is a restriction to 40 mph on curves between MP 222.0 and MP 222.7, a restriction to 35 mph on curves between MP 222.7 and MP 223.7, and a restriction to 40 mph on curves between MP 223.7 and MP 226.5, as the line heads curvily south-southwest past Rugby Road, crossovers at Glen Mary (MP 225.8, 40 mph on the turnout), detectors at MP 226.0, a restriction to 45 mph on curves between MP 226.5 and MP 227.9, a restriction to 40 mph on curves between MP 227.9 and MP 229.5, and Huffman.
A further 1963 relocation takes the line south, where it had once continued south-southwest. past a restriction to 45 mph on curves between MP 229.5 and MP 232.2, and then southwest to crossovers at Sunbright (MP 231.4, 40 mph on the turnout), end of the relocation, where it turns south, past a restriction to 50-45 on curves between MP 232.2 and MP 233.7, a restriction to 50 mph on curves between MP 233.7 and MP 235.2, and detectors at Pilot Mountain (MP 234.9), and then curvily south past a restriction to 40 mph on curves between MP 235.2 and MP 237.6 and Annadel, and southeast and then south-southwest past a restriction to 45 mph between MP 237.6 and MP 238.8, a restriction to 35 mph on curves between MP 238.8 and MP 239.6, a restriction to 45 mph on curves between MP 239.6 and MP 240.4, and a restriction to 40 mph on curves between MP 240.4 and MP 241.5, to crossovers at Lancing (MP 241.0, 40 mph on the turnout at MP 241.6), where the Emory River Railroad once trailed in from the east and there is a coal loader.
The main line turns curvily southeast at detectors at MP 241.8, southwest through Tunnel 23, with a restriction to 25 mph on Track 1 and 40 mph on Track 2 between MP 241.5 and MP 244.3, to Nemo (MP 243), in the Emory River Gorge, where the Morgan & Fentress Railway once headed west, south past CW Tower (MP 244.2, 40 mph on the turnout) where single track starts, a restriction to 45 mph on curves between MP 244.3 and MP 246.3, through 2700 ft. Tunnel 24, southeast past a restriction to 55-50 on curves between MP 246.8 and MP 248.2, and the resumption of 2MT at Coleman (MP 249.0, 40 mph on the turnout), and curvily south past a restriction to 40 mph on curves between MP 251.0 and MP 251.3, crossovers at Camp Austin (MP 251.2, 40 mph on the turnouts), detectors at MP 251.3, a restriction to 35 mph on curves between MP 251.3 and MP 252.1, a restriction to 45 mph on curves between MP 252.1 and MP 254.4, North Oakdale (MP 252.7), where double track begins again and the yard on the west side of the line begins, a grade crossing at Main Street, Oakdale (MP 254.4), where the 3' gauge Waldens Ridge Railroad once headed east and the main line turns southwest, past a restriction to 25 mph on curves between MP 254.4 and MP 254.8, single track once again (20 mph on the turnout at MP 254.8), through Tunnel 25 (MP 254.8), with a speed restriction to 40 mph on curves between MP 254.8 and MP 255.2, a restriction to 50 mph on curves between MP 255.2 and MP 255.5, and Tunnel 26 (MP 255.5), where 2MT resume (40 mph on the turnout), and south, past a restriction to 40 mph on curves between MP 257.6 and MP 258.7, to Harriman Junction (MP 258.2), where the single track line to Knoxville turns away east and the double track main line to Chattanooga continues south.