As the planners intended Part-Dieu to act as a second city center for Lyon, the large train station was built in conjunction with a shopping center (the largest in France), a major government office complex, and the tallest skyscraper in the region, nicknamed Le Crayon (The Pencil) due to its shape.

In spring 2018, major reconstruction and refurbishment works began to rebuild the entire station and its near surroundings by 2022.

Part-Dieu is a significant railway hub, connected to the French (SNCF) and international rail networks.

From the many lines that run through Lyon, Part-Dieu is directly connected to Paris, Marseille, Valence, Saint-Étienne, Nice, Montpellier, Perpignan, Barcelona, Rouen, Roissy, Lille, Brussels, Geneva, Tours, Mulhouse, Belfort, Metz, Strasbourg, Nantes, Rennes, Grenoble, Avignon, Aix-en-Provence, Le Havre, Le Mans, Karlsruhe, Frankfurt, Milan, Turin, London.

The SNCF offers connection services to CDG called TGV Air, under code sharing agreements with many airlines.