An estimated 200 people were injured and others trapped in wreckage after two trains collided at the Wonderboom train station north of Pretoria on Friday, the Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) said.

RSR said in a statement that a senior accident investigator was dispatched to the scene of the incident to conduct a preliminary investigation to determine the cause.

"The RSR will conduct a full investigation on this incident. We remain deeply perturbed by the prevalence of these incidents which place the lives of commuters at harms way," the body said.

It added that an urgent meeting with senior executives of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), the parent company of Metrorail had been agreed upon.

The regulator said the parties were expected to present their plans detailing how they intended to curb the frequent incidents of train accidents.

"The RSR has already begun targeted audits focusing on communications and signalling infrastructure as part of a broader exercise to ensure the integrity of safety critical infrastructure in the rail environment inclusive of the rolling stock," the regulator said.

No fatalities were reported shortly after the accident just before 7pm.

ER24 spokesman Werner Vermaak earlier told the SABC: "A few moments ago paramedics were placed on high alert after two trains apparently collided with each other.

"At this stage paramedics have counted over 80 patients that have been injured and numerous other patients are believed to be trapped underneath the wreckage."

"At this stage local clinical stations on the site will be opened and paramedics will assess and treat patients from the scene," he said.