In the last week of December, an AC compressor exploded in a train at Cotton Green station on the Harbour line of Central Railway (CR), causing minor injuries to two commuters.

“These compressors are small, 2-3 kg, and easy to carry in hand bags. It’s very difficult to check every commuter,” said AK Sharma, Commissioner of Railway Police. “But after the 7/11 incident, six to seven persons were caught carrying AC compressors. They were arrested.”

S C Parhi, senior divisional security commissioner, Central Railway, said: “The RPF arrested 3 people at CST around six months back carrying AC compressors from Ambernath. Actually, these compressors are not so harmful, but if there’s a blast, people panic and rush here and there. This causes injuries.’’

Presently, 1,700 Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel are posted in the Mumbai suburban section of CR. There are also 3,800 Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel and 800 Home Guards deployed in the suburban sections of CR and Western Railway (WR).

The number of hand-held metal detectors in CR has been increased by 100 from 75; there were 17 door-frame metal detectors earlier, now there are 45 more.

Apart from this, Central Railway is going to hire 748 closed-circuit TV cameras for its 53 stations—now it has 77 at seven stations—between CST and Kalyan and CST and Panvel.

At present, WR has 520 cameras from Churchagte to Virar.

“Still, people are not afraid they may be arrested if they carry these things,’’ said a railway official.