The government today launched an inquiry into a collision between two inter-city commuter trains during the evening rush hour that left dozens of people injured, Transport Minister Chan Kong Choy said.

Preliminary investigations showed that signal failure was responsible for Tuesday's crash in Seremban in southern Negri Sembilan between trains travelling from the capital Kuala Lumpur, Chan said.

"The first train stopped and then the second train came and rammed into it," Chan was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency.

The two trains were carrying some 600 people and 44 were reported injured, seven of them seriously.

Chan said the crash was the first involving the commuter trains since they were introduced here in August 1995.