From the end-on junction with the Canadian National line from Willingdon Junction at North Vancouver Junction, the former Pacific Great Eastern (later British Columbia Rail) line heads northwest, turning west past Fell Avenue, a spur curving away south to Seaspan International on the water, and reaching the passenger station on the north side of the line at North Vancouver and a spur curving away on the south side to LaFarge on the water.
The single track, OCS, line heads west from North Vancouver (MP 1.4), where there is a yard on the south side of the line, west of the depot, with overall speed limit 55 mph for passenger trains and 35 mph for freight trains, but with restricted speed of 10 mph for all trains past the spurs trailing in on the south side from Vancouver Wharves on the water, and Capilano Road (MP 2.1) at the west end of the yard, where the line turns west-northwest, bridging over an inlet, passing beneath the Lions Gate Bridge and bridging over a river, turning west again at Ambleside, with restricted speed 30/20 once the yard limits end and the main line begins at MP 3.5, along the beach and promenade waterfront of West Vancouver, then into its upscale residential area, past Hollybush, Weston, where the line turns north-northwest following the coast, and then curvily west-northwest, still following the coast, past Dundarave, Altamont and Marine to Westbay (MP 7.7).
The line now starts to climb up a 1% grade, curving southwest, northwest to Sherman, west past Cypress Park and Caulfield, north past Kew Beach, northeast to Eagle Harbour, north and west to Anchorage, briefly southwest and then sharply north at MP 10.9, where speeds increase to 40/25, and north-northeast, along Howe Sound (a real ocean fjord), past Gleneagles, through Horseshoe Bay Tunnel, and downgrade past the ferry terminal at Horseshoe Bay (MP 11.9) for the car ferries to Vancouver Island, a detector at Sunset Beach (MP 14.4), Newman, where it turns curvily north, following the shore line, and Lions Bay, to the 6,880 ft. siding at Brunswick (MP 19.6).
Even though this is at water level, there are still tunnels along the way, such as the short Brunswick Tunnel, after which the line continues along the shore past a former detector at MP 22.2, Deeks (MP 22.3), the 4,440 ft. siding at Porteau (MP 26.0), a tunnel at MP 29.0, MP 29.2 to MP 29.3, where there is a speed restriction of 15 mph before reverting to 40/25, and a tunnel at MP 29.9, Britannia (MP 31.3), where the speed restriction is 30/25, MP 31.5, where the speed rises to 40/25 again, tunnels at MP 32.2 and MP 33.0, a turn east following the shore line, a former detector at Shannon (MP 36.4), MP 37.2, where the speed restrictions are removed except on curves, where they are 40/25 and the line turns north-northeast, following the shore, MP 38.2, where speed limits are 20 mph on entering the road crossing, and the line leaves the shore of the sound as it turns north and enters Squamish (MP 40.4), where there are docks on the west side of the line, a 10,670 ft. yard siding and a 7,270 ft. station siding, a spur heading south-southwest, a passenger station on the west side of the line, and the road's Squamish Shops, also on the west side of the line.