Billowing clouds of steam fill the air above the railway tracks at Saint-Lazare Station, swirling in front of the tall, angular roofs of the goods sheds that dominate the right side of the scene. A locomotive, mostly obscured by the haze, sits near the center, its form suggested by dark, loose brushstrokes and a faint outline of its chimney. Figures in dark coats and hats are scattered along the platforms and walkways, some standing still, others walking, their shapes blurred and indistinct within the mist and shadows.

Two gas lamps rise above the figures on the left, their glass globes catching the light and echoing the round shapes of the windows in the goods shed. The ground is slick and reflective, suggesting recent rain, and the rails curve gently from the lower edge of the canvas toward the station building. Above, the sky is painted in broad strokes of pale blue, lavender, and ochre, with patches of white and grey merging into the steam below, creating a sense of movement and atmosphere.

The paint is applied in rapid, visible strokes, especially in the clouds and steam, where the brushwork is loose and energetic, building up layers of color and texture. In the upper left background, a row of faintly outlined buildings emerges through the haze, their rooftops silhouetted against the sky. Near the lower left corner, a shadowy structure or railcar appears, rendered in deep, nearly black tones that contrast with the lighter steam.

The far right edge of the painting is dominated by the dark mass of the goods sheds, where the brushwork becomes especially dense and the forms more angular. Light from the sky falls unevenly across the scene, catching on the wet ground and highlighting patches of pavement and the tops of figures' hats. Loose, horizontal strokes of pale lavender and ochre in the sky create a sense of layered atmosphere, while thin, vertical lines suggest lamp posts and architectural supports throughout the composition. The composition is structured by the strong verticals and diagonals of the station architecture on the right, balancing the horizontal sweep of the tracks and the diffuse forms of the cityscape in the background.

Claude Monet created Saint-Lazare Station, the Western Region Goods Sheds in 1877.