One person has died and dozens have been injured after a double-decker passenger train derailed during the night in the Netherlands.

Two of the train’s carriages reportedly came off the tracks about 3.30am (local time Tuesday) after hitting construction equipment.

The accident happened in the village of Voorschoten, about 55 kilometres south of the capital Amsterdam.

The train had been on its way from Leiden to The Hague.

Services on the route have been suspended as rescuers and investigators search the wreckage.

The train was believed to be carrying about 50 passengers. Of the injured, many are believed to be in a serious condition.

“The seriously injured are being taken to hospital, while 11 are at homes of nearby residents,” Hollands Midden emergency services said.

“Specialists are working to secure the train.”

News agencies reported a fire in the rear carriage. Pictures from the scene show smoke rising in the night sky.

The accident was initially reported as a collision between the double-decker and a cargo train.

“We heard a loud bang and suddenly the lights went out,” an unidentified witness told the local Omroep West television news.

“We couldn’t initially get out of the train because there was no electricity.”

But Dutch Railways later announced the passenger train had run into a construction crane that was on or near the track, Al Jazeera reports.

Local broadcaster NOS reported there were “many victims”.

NOS said emergency services including a helicopter had been deployed with the injured taken to hospital. Dutch Federal Emergency Services declared it a national incident.