From where the double track North Jersey Coast Line turns away south-southeast with two separate duck-under tracks (both descending below main line level) and a wye on the east side of the main line, the NEC continues south-southeast, past MP 20, where the maximum speeds drop back to 110 mph and freight speeds drop to 25 mph, two bridges over streets, a signal bridge, extra track on the west side, a bridge over a street, a signal bridge at Colonia, a road bridge overhead, a signal bridge, a bridge over a stream, a signal bridge for the crossovers, a bridge over a street, crossovers at Iselin (MP 22.8), a signal bridge, a street alongside to the west, a passenger station at Metropark (MP 23.2), which has two side platforms and a depot below on the east side, a bridge over a street, signal bridges and crossovers at Menlo (MP 23.7), a street alongside to the west, a bridge over a road, a signal bridge, and an erstwhile former LV line passing underneath.
There is a bridge over a street, a signal bridge at MP 25.7, a passenger station with two side platforms and wooden depot to the east at Metuchen (MP 25.8),a bridge over a street, signal bridges and multiple crossovers at Lincoln (MP 26.0), with a bridge over a street within the crossovers and a tower on the east side, where a wye on the east side leads to a Ford car plant and the four track Conrail (shared assets) Metuchen Yard to the south (with a lead on the east side between them, and a lead on the south end), and freight speeds rise to 35 mph, a bridge over a street, a road bridge overhead, dual road bridges overhead, a spur trailing in from the west, two extra tracks on the west side, a disconnected through girder bridge overhead, signal bridges and crossovers at Edison (MP 28.1), where maximum passenger speeds revert to 125 mph and freight speeds drop to 30 mph, a bridge over a street, extra track to the west, and the passenger station with two side platforms (on concrete supports with space underneath between them, like many others) and depot to the east at Edison Station (MP 28.9).
A high viaduct over the Raritan River reaches almost to the next station, past a bridge over a street, a signal bridge, a bridge over a road, the passenger station with two side platforms and brick depot (with hipped roof, like many others) to the east at New Brunswick (MP 31.4), six bridges over streets, a pedestrian bridge overhead, signal bridges and multiple crossovers at County (MP 32.8), where there is a spur on the west side to Millstone, four to six extra tracks on the west side, passenger speeds on the outer tracks rise to 110 mph, and freight speeds rise to 45 mph, extra tracks on the west side for NJT storage, the Jersey Avenue passenger station (MP 33.1), with two side platforms, a signal bridge at Adams, a road bridge overhead, spurs curving in from the east, two road bridges overhead, a signal bridge at Deans, extra track on the west side, a road alongside to the west/north, a bridge over a stream, a bridge over a street, extra track on the east side, a signal bridge for the crossovers, a road bridge overhead, and multiple crossovers at Midway (Monmouth Junction, MP 41.3), where the Amboy Secondary trails in from the east and a branch to Rocky Hill once headed west, with two road bridges overhead within the crossovers, Midway Tower on the west side, more crossovers, and another signal bridge.
There are two road bridges overhead, MP 45, MP 46, a bridge over a river, a signal bridge, an old tower on the east side north of the passenger station with east side and west island (side with north end stub) platforms, and depot to the west, at Princeton Junction (MP 47.1), where a branch heads northwest to Princeton, signals at MP 47.2, a road bridge under construction, a signal bridge, two road bridges overhead, work to add extra track on the east side (in 2008), a road bridge overhead, detectors at Lawrence, dual road bridges overhead, a signal bridge, a footbridge overhead, a passenger station with two side platforms and depot to the southeast at Hamilton (MP 53.3), three extra tracks on the west side, MP 54, where passenger speeds fall to 110 mph on the inner tracks and 80 mph on the outer tracks, and freight speeds fall to 30 mph, a spur serving industry to the east, a track serving a closed factory to the east, signal bridges and multiple crossovers at Ham (MP 55.7), where extra tracks on both sides start, an angled road bridge overhead, a bridge over a street, signal bridges and multiple crossovers at Fair (MP 56.4), with a road bridge overhead between the crossovers, where the Bordentown Secondary Track once left to the west, and a track currently trails in from the northwest, two road bridges overhead, an old tower on the east side, and a road bridge overhead to the north of the platforms at Trenton passenger station (MP 56.7), with two island platforms served by four tracks, two through tracks in the center, a footbridge overhead, and depots to the west side and east side, where NJT service ends, as do those extra tracks.