Two New York subway trains collided on Thursday, injuring 24 people and causing commuter chaos just ahead of the megacity's rush hour.

Dozens of police and fire vehicles swarmed the area to help hundreds of affected passengers evacuate, while travelers sought alternative routes as three subway lines were heavily disrupted.

There were no fatalities and 24 injuries, none of which were serious, said Ian Swords, an emergency medical services commander at the scene.

The area of the collision is located in the heart of Manhattan's opulent Upper West Side neighborhood.

"At approximately 1500 hours (2000 GMT), our units were notified of two trains colliding," said fire department commander Mike Meyers.

"There is a major disruption to… service while emergency teams assist passengers and conduct an investigation after a train derailed near 96th Street," said the New York City subway on X, formerly Twitter.