Train derails in Ocala, no injuries reported

Arial shot of remaining train cars derailed on Northern Florida Railroad on June 19, 2025. [Michael Warren]

A train derailed around 3 p.m. Thursday on the 500 block of Northwest 10th Street, blocking eastbound and westbound traffic on Bonnie Heath Boulevard, according to the Ocala Police Department.

The tracks are part of the Northern Florida Railroad line that runs from Lowell to Candler, passing through downtown Ocala and several residential neighborhoods in southeast Ocala.

No injuries were reported.

By 6:30 p.m., a Gazette reporter observed that a section of steel rail had pulled away from track timbers near Evergreen Cemetery. At least four train cars had derailed. Aerial images showed that the derailed cars were carrying rock.

Northern Florida Railroad representatives did not return calls or emails seeking comment.

In a Sept. 17, 2024, public hearing before the Marion County Commission, company officials said they serve 20 customers on the line and are seeking additional business.

The hearing concerned a special-use permit for Advanced Drainage Systems, which sought to manufacture plastic piping and transport it using the rail line.

City of Ocala officials and Marion County School Board members opposed the permit, citing concerns about disruption from increased rail traffic. They expressed support for a competing proposal to convert the rail corridor into a multi-use trail — an idea dismissed by representatives from CSX and Northern Florida Railroad.

Several southeast Ocala residents also spoke at the hearing, raising concerns about the condition of the rail line, the proximity of the tracks to their homes, and the lack of traffic studies examining the impact of increased rail activity.

Section of rail that appears to have pulled away from track timbers on June 19, 2025. [Jennifer Hunt Murty]

Derailed train car on June 19, 2025 on the Florida Northern Railroad. [Jennifer Hunt Murty]