A work train and a commuter train "side-swiped" one another, causing a derailment that injured 33 people, New York's governor has said.

The driver of a Jeep Cherokee and six people on a commuter train that crashed into it at a railway crossing north of New York City have died.

Blizzard conditions dumped more than a foot of snow in parts of the US north east, stranding thousands of airline, bus and rail passengers, with lashing winds and low visibility also buffeting workers returning to their post-Christmas routines.

New York City residents, utility crews and railroad workers have cleaned up debris after a brief but fierce storm swept through the city, killing at least one person as it tore up trees, stripped roofs and disrupted train services.