This is the shocking moment a crane collapsed onto a moving train full of passengers in China.

The red horizontal beam from a bridge crane broke and plunged onto the railroad seconds before Shanghai Metro Line 11 train number 1143 passed through during rush hour at 8am on December 22.

Footage shows the train carrying 1,860 passengers and running 100km per hour slamming onto the fallen debris, which hurtled near the road below where there were passing drivers.

The train driver pulled the brakes, and the passengers were stranded in the carriage for almost an hour before they were rescued without any reported injuries.

The Shanghai Metro Line later said in an advisory: 'The Ministry of Emergency Management dispatched a working group to the scene to guide the handling of the situation.'

Wang, a passenger on Line 11, said they were only about 200 metres away from Chenxiang Highway Station when the crane fell.

He said: 'I was in the car behind the part that hit the crane. There was a power outage, and it was very cold.'

The rescuers evacuated them individually and were guided to the nearest station.

He added: 'We walked for 20 minutes because the path was narrow and only one person could pass.'

Footage shows the aftermath from inside the train, where broken glasses from shattered windows were scattered on the aisle while passengers were evacuated.

The company Shanghai Highway Investment Construction Development Co Ltd installed the crane for the Shanghai-Jiaxing Expressway-Jiamin Elevated Link.

The major project aims to connect the three main roads through a bridge and improve traffic conditions. It was set to be ready in 2025.