The airline industry’s body scanning technology may soon be employed in Los Angeles subway stations. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority ran a two-day pilot program of the scanners last month to evaluate their accuracy and capacity inside a subway.

The test program’s results will determine whether the scanners become a permanent part of security measures throughout the Los Angeles transit system. The move is an effort by officials to stay ahead of threats against subways around the world. The machines allow officials to identify firearms and explosive compounds.

The scanners, which cost around $60,000 each, can process 600 people per hour. Unlike at airports, subway commuters would not have to remove items like sweaters, jackets, shoes and laptops to pass through security.

“It is specifically designed to test for mass-casualty threats,” said Dave Sotero, deputy executive officer, Metropolitan Transportation Authority. “The technology enables the system to locate on the body where there is a potential threat, and it appears on a video screen.”

The scanners can process a continuous stream of people without leading to a backlog that could delay passengers or cause them to miss a train.