Pennsylvania Railroad Workers Cancer Lawsuit

Generations Helped Build the Nation’s Railroads and Now Live With the Hidden Cost of Toxic Exposure

“In Pennsylvania, rail towns like Altoona, Enola, and Harrisburg weren’t just job sites—they were livelihoods and legacies. But many of the men and women we speak with were never told about the diesel fumes, the welding smoke, or the asbestos dust. They were proud to work for the railroad, but the railroad didn’t protect them.”

Joe Lyon,
Pennsylvania Railroad Injury FELA Lawyer | The Lyon Firm

Pennsylvania has been the backbone of America’s rail network for over a century, and its skilled railroad workers helped forge the industrial freight lines that moved coal, steel, and cargo across the U.S.

From the humming switchyards of Reading to the brakemen and engineers in Conway, these jobs built communities across the Commonwealth and supported entire families with hard but honest work.

But decades later, many rail workers from Pennsylvania—both active and retired—are being diagnosed with lung cancer, leukemia, mesothelioma, and other occupational diseases. For many of them, the cause can be traced back to years of daily exposure to toxic substances such as diesel exhaust, asbestos, benzene, and silica dust.

If you, your spouse, or a loved one was diagnosed with cancer or terminal illness after working for a rail company in Pennsylvania, you may be eligible to file a railroad exposure lawsuit.

Call The Lyon Firm at (513) 381-2333 or request a free case review with a Pennsylvania railroad cancer lawyer online.

Pennsylvania Rail Workers Faced Dangerous Exposure Every Day

Despite federal regulations and decades of safety science, many railroad employers in Pennsylvania failed to provide adequate respiratory protection, air monitoring, or employee training—leading to prolonged and unnecessary toxic exposure across job sites.

Sources of Hazardous Exposure in Pennsylvania Rail Yards

• Diesel exhaust and soot. Locomotives, idling trains, repairs in closed shops—these produced fine particulate diesel emissions, which workers inhaled daily. The World Health Organization has classified diesel engine exhaust as a known human carcinogen.
• Asbestos-containing materials. Used widely in brake linings, boilers, gaskets, pipe insulation, and electrical components, asbestos dust was disturbed regularly inside shops and along the tracks, especially during repairs, rebuilds, and cleanouts.
• Benzene-based solvents and fuels. Present in degreasers, fuels, lubricants, and adhesives—a Group 1 carcinogen linked to AML, MDS, and other blood cancers.
• Silica dust in ballast and construction zones. Cutting, grinding, or disturbing rock ballast released respirable crystalline silica (another lung carcinogen), and most workers were never provided with approved filtration masks.
• Creosote (wood preservative). Found on railroad ties, trestles, bridges, and utility poles. Creosote soaks through gloves and skin, and long-term contact has been linked to skin, kidney, and bladder cancers.
• Welding smoke, grinding dust, and manganese fumes. Workers in confined machine shops, particularly welders, pipefitters, and rebuild crews, experienced intensified exposure to metal-rich particulates and solvent fumes.

You didn’t have to work directly with hazardous materials to be harmed. If your shop, cab, or yard was full of unventilated fumes, toxic dust, or chemical vapors, you were at risk.

Which Pennsylvania Railroad Workers Are at Increased Cancer Risk?

Experts have concluded that almost anyone who regularly inhales or ingests known carcinogens are at a heightened risk for developing certain forms of occupational cancer. Some positions at Pennsylvania rail yards carry more risk than others, however. Any worker who spends much of their workday in a confined, poorly ventilated workshop may be at a risk.

Machinists, welders, electricians and pipefitters generally fit this description, and have been known to work long hours in stuffy machine shops, exposed to diesel exhaust, asbestos, and welding fumes.

Conductors, engineers, trackmen, carmen, brakemen, and signal operators all faced a good deal of diesel fuel exposure in the field. Many former workers can describe coming home after work and having difficulty removing the pervasive smell of diesel from their clothing and their hair.

Which Railroad Jobs in Pennsylvania Faced the Highest Risk?

Virtually all railroaders faced exposure, but some jobs involved closer proximity to diesel, asbestos, and solvent exhaust than others. Combined with poor personal protective equipment (PPE), little oversight, and decades of repetition, these risks multiplied over time.

High-risk roles for Pennsylvania railroad workers:

Engineers and Conductors

• Spent hours in closed locomotive cabs, heavy with diesel vapor
• High cumulative exposure to fuel, soot, and metal particulates

Machinists and Diesel Mechanics

• Frequently handled engine parts, asbestos gaskets, and degreasers
• Often worked in poorly ventilated shops

Welders and Fabricators

• Inhaled manganese fumes, lead smoke, and anti-rust coatings
• Rarely provided adequate masks or filtration gear

Track Maintenance Crews (MOW)

• Consistently exposed to creosoted railroad ties and ballast dust
• Worked long shifts in open-air yards with no protection against airborne dust

Pipefitters and Electricians

• Removed or disturbed asbestos encasements around joints and lines
• Many report long-term breathing issues years before cancer was diagnosed

These jobs built the Pennsylvania freight legacy. Now, many of those same workers are suffering, and our team is ready to fight for the compensation they deserve.

What Types of Cancer Are Linked to Railroad Work?

After years of exposure, many former rail workers develop serious or terminal diseases but aren’t aware these conditions may be linked to their time on the job.

The Lyon Firm works with leading industrial hygienists, oncologists, and occupational health experts to demonstrate the connection between long-term railroad exposures and cancer.

Diagnosed Conditions Common Among Pennsylvania Railroad Workers

• Lung Cancer
• Bladder Cancer
• Esophageal Cancer
• Nasopharyngeal Cancer
• Stomach Cancer
• Kidney Cancer
• Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)
• Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS)
• Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL)
• Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
• Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
• Multiple Myeloma
• Aplastic Anemia
• COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
• Emphysema
• RADS (Reactive Airways Dysfunction Syndrome)
• Interstitial Lung Disease
• Pulmonary Fibrosis

These illnesses may take 10–40 years to develop after exposure, meaning that even retired workers may still be eligible for compensation. Most of the workers we represent never thought they’d be filing a lawsuit. But years on the railroad and a later diagnosis raise difficult questions:

Did anyone know this was happening? Could it have been prevented? Why weren’t we told?

That’s where we come in.

The Lyon Firm investigates work history, exposure sites, and company policies, then builds a Pennsylvania railroad workers cancer lawsuit showing what went wrong and why it matters now. Whether it’s lung cancer, lymphoma, leukemia, or mesothelioma, your story deserves to be understood—and acted on. Call (513) 381-2333 or submit your case for a confidential review.

Where Were the Most Hazardous Rail Sites in Pennsylvania?

We’re actively investigating past worker exposures at Pennsylvania rail yards spanning the state’s major transportation zones.

These facilities have been associated with prolonged exposure to diesel exhaust, asbestos, solvents, and other industrial toxins linked to railroad-related cancers and occupational illness.

Norfolk Southern (NS) Yards

• Enola: One of the largest classification yards in the eastern U.S. with extensive freight traffic and diesel operations.
• Altoona Rose: Historic locomotive repair and maintenance center known for long-term exposure risks.
• Allentown: Key freight terminal with frequent switching and engine activity.
• Conway: High-traffic switching and fueling yard near Pittsburgh; major diesel exposure site.
• Harrisburg: Central Pennsylvania freight yard with heavy locomotive use and mechanical functions.
• Rutherford: Intermodal facility near Harrisburg consistently operating diesel-powered units.
• Scranton: Regional yard connected to both freight and former passenger service.
• Taylor: Adjacent to Scranton Yard; used for locomotive rotation and crew operations.
• Spring Street: Former Reading Railroad site now operated by NS; smaller yard with potential legacy exposure.
• York–Windsor Street: Local freight and industrial switching yard in south-central Pennsylvania.

CSX Transportation (CSXT) Yards

• Langhorne–Woodbourne: Southeastern Pennsylvania yard used for switching and regional freight distribution.

Conrail Shared Assets (CSAO) Yards

• Morrisville: Collaborative yard used by CSX and Norfolk Southern; transfer and classification terminal.

Historical and Independent Operator Yards

• Duryea: Previously operated during the industrial boom; known for its role in coal and steel freight.
• Philadelphia (South, West, Vine Street): Formerly used by multiple lines; high historical traffic, now partially inactive or repurposed

Understanding which yard you worked in or around and who operated it is essential for building a strong Pennsylvania railroad cancer lawsuit. Railroad cancer cases under FELA often depend on linking diagnoses to specific locations, job duties, and periods of exposure.

If you worked at any of the facilities above or similar yards anywhere in the state, a Pennsylvania diesel exhaust exposure attorney can help investigate your employment history and build your case.

How Long Do I Have to File a Railroad Cancer Lawsuit in Pennsylvania?

If you’ve received a cancer diagnosis that you believe may be tied to your railroad career, it’s essential to act promptly.

FELA Statute of Limitations

While FELA cases typically must be filed within three years, that time limit begins once you know (or should have known) that your condition is connected to your work.

This means your window to act is based on awareness, not the date you retired or were exposed. So if you:

• Were diagnosed recently, or
• Just learned about the occupational link

You may still be eligible to file a Pennsylvania railroad cancer lawsuit, even if you’re long retired.

What Does Compensation in a Pennsylvania Railroad Workers Cancer Lawsuit Cover?

Every railroad cancer case is unique. But in Pennsylvania and across the country, lawsuits often result in compensation for:

• Ongoing treatments like immunotherapy, chemo, or radiation;
• Missing years of income during and after diagnosis;
• Long-term disability or early retirement;
• Family losses in wrongful death cases; and
• Pain, suffering, and quality-of-life reductions.

What Do Settlement Amounts Look Like?

According to a national survey by Martindale-Nolo, the average personal injury settlement falls between $91,000–$200,000, with higher-value cases exceeding $500,000–$1 million depending on severity.

In our experience, we’ve seen railroad cancer claims involving terminal illness, proven exposure, and strong medical evidence fall on the higher end of that range.

Cancer tied to diesel or asbestos exposure is among the most serious occupational claims we take on. Pennsylvania railroad workers cancer lawsuits are complex, but when documented properly, they can result in substantial recoveries for workers and their families.

Why Railroad Workers Across Pennsylvania Choose The Lyon Firm

Railroad toxic exposure cases aren’t simple, and not every firm is equipped to handle them. At The Lyon Firm, we’ve spent more than two decades litigating occupational cancer cases under FELA, with an emphasis on serious diagnoses caused by systemic failures in workplace safety.

Our approach:

• We’ve handled scores of railroad claims. From Enola to Altoona, we understand the history of railyards across Pennsylvania and the unique exposure issues associated with each one.
• We work directly with you. Joe Lyon and his legal team are involved from Day 1 and remain involved throughout.
• We invest in the science. We partner with medical, engineering, and toxicology experts to document exposure in ways that withstand legal challenges, even decades after your last shift.
• We work on contingency. You won’t owe anything unless and until we resolve your case.

Railroad companies had a duty to identify and mitigate known hazards. In many cases, they didn’t. We’re here to make sure that negligence doesn’t go unanswered.