The accident happened shortly after 1800 local time (1700 GMT) at the Bern-Weissenbuehl station, when a train coming from Bern ran into the side of another train coming from the lakeside town of Thun.

Police said the injured were taken to Bern's main hospital by ambulance. A four-month-old child and an adult, who were not identified, were killed.

The cause of the accident was not immediately clear, although a spokesman for the Bern-Loetschberg-Simplon rail company said it seemed likely the driver of the train from Bern had gone through a red light.

Reports said the engine of the Bern-Thun train had rammed into the second carriage of the oncoming train. The engine and connected carriage came off the rails.