Union Pacific Railroad and Asbestos Exposure

Union Pacific Railroad is one of the largest freight railroad operators in the United States, with a rail network spanning thousands of miles across the western and central regions of the country. For much of the twentieth century, railroad workers employed by Union Pacific — including carmen, machinists, boilermakers, pipe fitters, electricians, and track laborers — performed their duties in environments where asbestos-containing materials were heavily integrated into the equipment, rolling stock, and infrastructure they worked on daily. According to asbestos litigation records, Union Pacific has been named as a defendant in numerous lawsuits brought by former employees and their families alleging occupational asbestos exposure that resulted in serious and fatal diseases.

Company History

Union Pacific Railroad traces its origins to the mid-nineteenth century, when it was chartered to construct the eastern portion of the First Transcontinental Railroad. Over the following century, Union Pacific expanded through mergers, acquisitions, and route extensions to become one of the dominant freight rail carriers in the American West.

Throughout the mid-twentieth century, Union Pacific operated extensive locomotive repair and maintenance facilities, classification yards, roundhouses, and car shops across multiple states. These facilities were staffed by large numbers of skilled tradespeople whose daily work routinely brought them into contact with asbestos-containing materials. Asbestos was considered an industry standard in railroad operations during this era, prized for its heat resistance, fireproofing properties, and durability — qualities that made it appear well-suited for the high-temperature environments associated with steam and diesel locomotive operations.

Union Pacific continued using asbestos-containing materials across its equipment and facilities for much of the postwar period. Court filings document that workers at the company’s shops and yards were exposed to asbestos through the repair, removal, and installation of insulation, gaskets, brake components, and other materials well into the late 1970s and early 1980s, when the railroad industry began moving away from asbestos use in response to emerging federal regulations and mounting health evidence.

Asbestos-Containing Products and Materials

Union Pacific, like other major American railroads of its era, did not typically manufacture asbestos-containing products itself. Rather, according to asbestos litigation records, the company purchased and installed asbestos-containing materials supplied by third-party manufacturers, and its workers were exposed to those materials in the course of performing routine maintenance and repair tasks.

Plaintiffs alleged that asbestos-containing materials were present throughout Union Pacific’s locomotive fleet and maintenance infrastructure, including but not limited to the following categories:

Locomotive and Engine Insulation Steam and early diesel locomotives required extensive thermal insulation to manage the extreme heat generated during operation. Court filings document that insulation materials applied to boilers, steam pipes, exhaust systems, and fireboxes frequently contained asbestos. Workers who removed, replaced, or worked near deteriorating pipe insulation and block insulation were alleged to have inhaled asbestos fibers released into the air during these tasks.

Brake Shoes and Friction Components Railroad brake shoes were among the most widely documented sources of asbestos exposure in the industry. Plaintiffs alleged that brake shoes used on freight cars and locomotives contained asbestos-reinforced friction materials. Carmen and machinists who inspected, ground, and replaced brake shoes in car shops and yards regularly generated asbestos-laden dust during these operations.

Gaskets and Packing Materials Pipe fitters and machinists working on locomotive engines and auxiliary equipment handled sheet gaskets, valve packing, and flange gaskets that plaintiffs alleged were manufactured with chrysotile or other forms of asbestos. Cutting, trimming, and fitting these materials produced fine particulate dust that could remain suspended in the air of enclosed repair shops.

Boiler Insulation and Fireproofing Workers involved in boilermaking and boiler repair — a common trade in steam-era railroad shops — were alleged to have encountered asbestos-containing refractory cements, block insulation, and rope seals used to insulate and seal boiler components. Court filings document that removing old boiler insulation was among the highest-exposure tasks performed in railroad maintenance environments.

Cab and Coach Interior Materials Plaintiffs alleged that asbestos-containing materials were also incorporated into the interior construction of locomotive cabs and passenger coaches, including ceiling tiles, floor tiles, and fire-resistant wall panels. Workers performing renovation and repair of rolling stock interiors were potentially exposed to these materials.

Shop and Facility Construction Materials Union Pacific’s repair shops, roundhouses, and maintenance buildings were constructed and maintained using materials that court filings document as having contained asbestos, including insulated pipe systems, roofing materials, floor tiles, and spray-applied fireproofing. Workers who performed renovation, demolition, or routine maintenance in these buildings were alleged to have been exposed to asbestos in the building materials themselves, in addition to the exposure from rolling stock.

Occupational Exposure

According to asbestos litigation records, the occupations most frequently represented among plaintiffs who alleged asbestos exposure while working for Union Pacific include:

  • Carmen and car repairmen, who inspected and maintained freight car brake systems and other components
  • Machinists, who repaired locomotive engines and associated mechanical systems
  • Boilermakers, who worked directly on steam locomotive boilers and pressure systems
  • Pipe fitters and pipemen, who installed and maintained steam and coolant lines throughout the locomotive fleet
  • Electricians, who worked in close proximity to insulated wiring and thermal insulation
  • Section laborers and track workers, who performed maintenance near railcars and equipment
  • Shop laborers and helpers, who worked in general maintenance environments alongside trade workers

Plaintiffs alleged that exposures occurred in a variety of settings, including locomotive roundhouses, diesel shop facilities, car repair shops, classification yards, and aboard locomotives and rolling stock during maintenance runs. Court filings document that many of these exposures occurred over extended careers spanning years or decades, a pattern consistent with the latency periods associated with asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer.

The enclosed nature of many railroad shop environments — where ventilation was limited and asbestos dust could accumulate — is cited in litigation records as a factor that may have concentrated worker exposure. Plaintiffs alleged that adequate respiratory protection was not consistently provided or required during the decades when asbestos work was most prevalent.

Union Pacific Railroad falls under Tier 2 of this site’s legal classification framework: the company has been named as a defendant in asbestos-related personal injury litigation, but no dedicated asbestos bankruptcy trust has been established by Union Pacific.

According to asbestos litigation records, claims against Union Pacific have been pursued under several legal frameworks, including the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA), which governs personal injury claims brought by railroad employees against their employers in federal courts. FELA provides a distinct legal pathway for railroad workers and their survivors that differs from workers’ compensation systems available to workers in other industries. Under FELA, plaintiffs must establish that employer negligence contributed to the injury, rather than meeting a strict liability standard.

Court filings document that plaintiffs have alleged Union Pacific failed to provide a reasonably safe workplace, failed to warn workers of the dangers of asbestos exposure, and failed to take adequate measures to reduce or eliminate asbestos dust in work environments where the hazard was or should have been known. Union Pacific has contested these allegations in litigation, and no liability has been established as a matter of settled legal fact applicable to all claims.

Because Union Pacific has not entered bankruptcy reorganization related to asbestos liability, there is no Union Pacific asbestos trust fund through which former workers can submit administrative claims. Individuals seeking compensation for asbestos-related diseases alleged to have resulted from Union Pacific employment must pursue claims through the civil court system.

If you or a family member worked for Union Pacific Railroad and has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, or another asbestos-related disease, the following points summarize your potential legal options:

  • No Union Pacific asbestos trust fund exists. Claims cannot be filed administratively through a trust and must be pursued through civil litigation.
  • FELA governs railroad worker claims. Former Union Pacific railroad workers — unlike workers in most other industries — may bring personal injury or wrongful death claims under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act rather than state workers’ compensation systems.
  • Third-party product manufacturer trusts may also be available. Many of the asbestos-containing materials used at Union Pacific facilities were manufactured by companies that have since established asbestos bankruptcy trusts. Exposure to products from those manufacturers may support separate trust claims, regardless of any claim against Union Pacific itself.
  • Statutes of limitations apply. Time limits for filing FELA claims and related asbestos lawsuits vary and begin running from the date of diagnosis or the date a worker knew or should have known of the connection between their illness and asbestos exposure. Consulting with an attorney experienced in railroad asbestos litigation promptly after diagnosis is strongly advisable.
  • Detailed exposure history is critical. Documenting specific job titles, facilities, dates of employment, and the types of materials worked with is essential to building a railroad asbestos claim. Former co-workers, union records, and employment files may all serve as valuable sources of corroborating evidence.

An attorney with experience in FELA-based asbestos litigation can evaluate the specific facts of an exposure history and identify all potential sources of compensation, including both civil claims and asbestos trust fund filings against product manufacturers.