At least eight people were killed in India on Monday when a goods train driver missed a signal and slammed into an express passenger train from behind, police and railway officials said.

Three passenger carriages were derailed and flipped on their side, while one carriage was thrust high into the air, precariously balanced on another.

The incident in West Bengal state is the latest to hit India's creaking rail network, which carries millions of passengers each day – and the most recent reported failure of drivers missing basic signals.

Around 50 people were injured and taken to hospital, Jaya Varma Sinha, chairman of India's Railway Board said in a statement.

"A goods train disregarded the signal and hit the train from behind," Sinha said.

The dead included the driver and co-driver, who missed the signal, as well as a train guard and five passengers, she added.

Sinha said the casualties could have been worse, but a guard wagon and two others carrying post that were attached to the back of the passenger train took the brunt of the crash.

"There were two parcel carriages attached... which protected other carriages from extensive damage," she said, but added that the guard wagon "was badly damaged."

The crash took place in the Phansidewa area of Darjeeling district, when the Kanchenjunga Express train was hit by the goods train.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his condolences to "those who lost their loved ones," in a post on social media.

West Bengal's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called the crash "tragic."

Moments after the collision, she said that "ambulances and disaster teams" were rushed to the site, giving orders for "action on a war footing" to be initiated.

Local police officer Iftikar-Ul-Hassan said he saw several badly injured people pulled out of the wreckage.

"The toll could rise further, as four people are admitted in a serious condition," he said, adding that rescue teams were working to return the line to service.

"The tracks are being cleared and restored for operations," he added. (AFP)