Broken scanners at Thane and major railway stations spark security concerns
Metal detectors and baggage scanners at Thane and several other major railway stations across Mumbai are currently non-functional or unused. The security lapse has sparked serious concerns among local train commuters following two recent murders on local trains where the accused successfully smuggled deadly weapons inside their bags.
The issue has highlighted vulnerabilities in automated station security. In response to the recent killings, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) have intensified manual baggage checks and intelligence-based surveillance. Security officials explained that the massive volume of daily passengers makes it extremely difficult to screen every commuter without causing severe transit delays.
Currently, security agencies are relying on random checks, targeted inspections, and surprise checks inside train coaches as their main security measures. Officials said that efforts are underway to repair and reactivate the metal detectors at key entry and exit points.
However, railway authorities do not possess consolidated data on the total number of metal detectors and baggage scanners installed across the network, or how many of them are currently operational. While this security equipment was installed at major hubs—including Thane, Kalyan, Dadar, Kurla, Bandra, Churchgate, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, and Mumbai Central—many of the machines are reportedly out of order.
Passenger activist Samir Zaveri criticized the lapses, stating that metal detectors serve little purpose if they are not functional or if no action is taken when they beep. He pointed out that because the scanning systems exist only at selected stations, anyone carrying a weapon can easily board a train from a station that lacks these checks.
Zaveri previously raised the issue through a Right to Information (RTI) application. According to the reply he received in January 2026, the baggage scanner at the Mumbai Central railway terminus was out of service for 180 days. The scanner stopped functioning on July 17, 2025, and was not repaired until January 30, 2026.
Zaveri noted that the scanner was purchased for Rs 27 lakh and was covered under a 30-month maintenance contract worth Rs 21 lakh. He argued that the machine should not have remained non-functional for nearly six months under such an agreement.
