Billowing clouds of steam and smoke fill the foreground, partially veiling the iron lattice of the Pont de l'Europe as it stretches across the right half of the scene. A locomotive stands at the lower left, its dark engine emerging from the haze, with a figure in a cap visible nearby on the platform. The ground is rendered in loose, rapid strokes of brown and ochre, suggesting the muddy, bustling surface of the railway yard.

Behind the steam, pale yellow and cream façades of tall Parisian buildings rise in the background, their windows and red chimney pots just discernible through the mist. The sky is a luminous, almost white expanse, merging with the haze and lending an atmospheric unity to the whole composition. Brushwork throughout is energetic and broken, with visible dabs and swirls that dissolve forms and edges, especially in the vapor and the ironwork of the bridge.

A single red signal stands out on the left, its color sharply contrasting with the otherwise muted palette of greys, blues, and ochres. The composition is dominated by diagonals: the bridge sweeps from the right edge toward the center, while the buildings and train lines recede into the mist, creating depth and movement. Details such as the wheels of the locomotive, the iron girders, and the figures are suggested rather than described, giving the scene a fleeting, momentary quality.

A second figure stands near the lower left corner, facing away and partly obscured by steam. In the bottom right corner, a faint circular form suggests the blurred outline of a railcar or wheel lost in the haze. The upper left edge of the canvas is bordered by the rooftops and chimneys of distant buildings, painted in loose, pale strokes.

Light falls most strongly on the upper façades of the buildings, making their yellow tones appear brightest against the sky. Blue-grey shadows and streaks are visible within the steam, adding depth and movement to the swirling clouds. Claude Monet painted this view of the Pont de l'Europe near the Gare Saint-Lazare in 1877.