German police arrested the suspect at the railway station in the town of Brokstedt. (Reuters)

Two people were killed and numerous others were injured in a knife assault on a regional train in northern Germany on Wednesday, according to police, who also announced that the alleged suspect had been apprehended.

The stabbings occurred on a train traveling between Hamburg and Kiel, according to a spokesperson for the federal police department.

The suspect was reportedly taken into custody at the railway station in the town of Brokstedt.

It was unclear how many people had been harmed or how serious their injuries were. According to media accounts, five people were injured.

On his account, regional interior minister Sabine Suetterlin-Waack said she was "shocked" by the attack and that her "thoughts were with the families and loved ones of the victims."

Some trains on the line between Hamburg and Kiel have been canceled, according to Germany's national rail corporation, to allow police to perform their investigation.

Several deadly knife assaults have occurred in Germany in recent years, some carried out by extremists and others by people suffering from major psychological issues.