Residents living across from the railway tracks along Ruth Street in Florida are fed-up at the constant battle to get the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), to carry out maintenance along the railway line.

Itumeleng Seitereng has lived in Ruth Street for years and according to him, it is the same story year after year.

“PRASA seems to maintain their grounds at the actual train stations, but they don’t do anything whatsoever between stations.

“We are constantly pushing them to cut down the overgrown vegetation and maintain their property, but with no luck whatsoever.”

Seitereng showed the Roodepoort Record a massive Eucalyptus (Bluegum) tree growing in PRASA property across from his house.

“I’ve been trying to get them to cut down this tree since 2014,” he says.

“It’s a very old tree and it seems to lean over more and more every year.

“I am constantly dreading the tree coming down and crushing my house.”

Neighbour Elsa Struwig adds that, in addition to encouraging illegal dumping and providing hiding spaces for criminals, the densely overgrown railway line also attracts pests.

“We are overrun with rats, mice, and snakes.”

According to Gauteng Metrorail spokesperson Lilian Mofokeng, PRASA acknowledges concerns raised by residents regarding vegetation overgrowth along the railway corridor between Maraisburg and Hamberg stations.

“The overgrowth is primarily due to sustained rainfall patterns and limited contractor availability during the past financial year,” she says.

“While a vegetation control contractor undertook work along the Randfontein line in 2025, the contractor was responsible for the wider Gauteng region, resulting in longer turnaround times for follow-up interventions.

“To address this sustainably, PRASA published a three-year vegetation control tender late last year which is currently at the evaluation stage. The tender will make provision for six service providers to significantly improve vegetation management and response times across Gauteng.

“In the interim, limited internal resources are addressing vegetation as part of broader track maintenance program. PRASA will also assess reported high-risk trees as part of the programme.”