East of Houston, the line is into low-lying grass and croplands, interspersed with wide slow-moving waterways. From Dawes (MP 353.0), the single-track, CTC, line with speed limit 70-60, heading east-northeast, passes a highway alongside to the south, a bridge over a river, two grade crossings, a detector at MP 351.3, a grade crossing (CE King Parkway), a grade crossing to a used car lot on the north side, a dirt track grade crossing, the 13,500 ft. south side siding at Fauna (MP 351.1-348.2), with a grade crossing (Win Hut Drive), a grade crossing, and a bridge over a stream within the siding, and then immediately the south side siding at Hatchery (MP 348.2-346.7), with a grade crossing at County Road 138, and the highway still alongside to the south, within the siding, Intermediate Signals at Sheldon (MP 345.4), a grade crossing at Sheldon Road, a west-facing extra track on the south side, the former location of a detector at MP 345.0, a grade crossing, a spur to a plant trailing in, and a power plant on the south side.
The line curves north-northeast past a through truss bridge over a river, and then back northeast, where the speed limit falls to 65-60, past an embankment, a bridge over a stream and a dirt road, a bridge over a stream, a bridge over drainage, no road alongside to the south, a bridge over drainage, and a grade crossing, the 14,100 ft. north side siding at Crosby (MP 341.1-338.1), with two grade crossings, a dirt road grade crossing, a street alongside to the south, and a grade crossing, within the siding, a bridge over drainage, a grade crossing at Crosby-Langden Road, a divided US 90 alongside to the south, a grade crossing (Lerd Road), a bridge over a stream, a grade crossing (Plaza Circle), a grade crossing (Shady Lane), a bridge over a stream, two dirt track grade crossings, a dirt road grade crossings, and a detector at MP 332.9.
There is a dirt road grade crossing, Audrey (MP 331.9), a dirt road grade crossing, Walley, a bridge over drainage, Dayton Yard Lead (MP 330.3), west end of the eponymous three-track yard on the south side, a divided US 90 alongside to the south, a grade crossing, the 12,574 ft. south side siding at Dayton, starting at MP 329.3, with a grade crossing in the siding near the west end, Dayton Junction, east end of the three-track yard, where a line curves away to the south to head for Baytown, a grade crossing, the east end of the siding at MP 326.8, where a branch once headed away northeast, two grade crossings, and a curve north-northeast and then due east.
The line passes a dirt track grade crossing, a bridge over large diameter pipes, a bridge over a stream, a trestle above a marsh east of the stream, the former location of a detector at MP 324.5, in a woody marshland area, five bridges over streams, a dirt track grade crossing, a through truss bridge across the Trinity River, where the speed limit falls to 30 mph, a grade crossing, extra track trailing in from the south, two grade crossings, extra track on the south side that crosses the grade crossings, the former location of a detector at MP 323.4, a grade crossing at Crockett Avenue, three grade crossings, Liberty, where the speed limit rises to 65-60 again, and the old depot remains on the south side, three grade crossings, a street alongside to the south in town (not US 90), and the 10,300 ft. north side siding at Ames (MP 319.4-317.2), with a short extra track on the south side and a grade crossing in the siding.
There are two grade crossings west of Raywood (MP 313.4), where there is a cement plant and grain silos on the south side, neither of them rail-served, and a grade crossing in town, a detector at MP 312.3, three dirt road grade crossings, a spur curving away to an Exxon-Mobil Refinery on the north side, a bridge over a culvert, a divided street on the south side, three grade crossings, the 11,700 ft. north side siding at Devers (MP 308.3-305.9), where the speed limit rises to 70-60, with two bridges over drainage and a dirt track grade crossing within the siding, a detector at MP 303.5, a dirt road grade crossing, a road alongside to the south, becoming a divided highway further east, Felicia, a dirt road grade crossing, a bridge over drainage, a dirt track grade crossing, and a bridge over drainage.
There is a holdout signal at Creek (MP 301.1), a dirt track grade crossing, a dirt road grade crossing, Intermediate Signals at Cotton Creek (MP 298.7), a bridge over drainage, a grade crossing, MP 298, a grade crossing, Nome, where a branch once headed north, a grade crossing, a dirt road grade crossing, the former location of a detector at MP 296.6, the 11,300 ft. north side siding at China (MP 294.8-292.6), a bridge over a canal, a dirt road grade crossing, a grade crossing, a bridge over drainage, a dirt road grade crossing, a detector at MP 288.3, a bridge over drainage, a grade crossing, a holdout signal at Amelia (MP 286.3), two dirt road grade crossings, a bridge over drainage, a bridge over a stream, a grade crossing, a bridge over drainage, Intermediate Signals at MP 284.2, a divided road to the south, a grade crossing, a bridge over drainage, a grade crossing, a bridge over a stream, a road bridge overhead, a grade crossing, and Langham Road (MP 282.3), where the ex-MP route from Houston trails in from the west-northwest, Two Main Tracks, CTC, start, and the speed limit falls to 40 mph.