A suspect was arrested following the incident on a train carrying around 500 passengers near the village of Strasskirchen, police for the region of Bavaria said in a statement.

“At around 1:55pm today… a man on an ICE train travelling towards Vienna injured several people with dangerous objects,” the statement said.

Four people received “minor injuries”, it added.

The Bild daily reported that the main weapon used to attack passengers was “probably an axe”.

“Several passengers reportedly pulled the emergency brake after the incident, causing the train to come to a halt on an open stretch of track,” it said.

Passengers then surrounded the attacker, who was seriously injured and taken to hospital by helicopter, it added.

Rail operator Deutsche Bahn said it was “appalled” by the “violent attack” on the train, which had been travelling from Hamburg.

“Our thoughts and sympathy are with the injured and all those who are now coming to terms with what they have experienced,” a spokesman said.