The person killed in the crash was a woman standing on the platform, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said here at a press conference, adding that the victim was killed by debris.
Among the 108 injured, 74 of them were hospitalized, he added.
The engineer involved in the train crash was in critical condition and cooperating with investigators, said Christie, adding that no signs had so far indicated that the crash was anything but a "tragic accident."
The train plowed into Hoboken station just before 9:00 a.m. local time (1300 GMT) with around 250 passengers on board. Hoboken station, which sits 11 kilometers outside New York city, is a hub for commuters to switch for Manhattan.
All trapped people have been rescued from the train wreckage, according to local media reports. Jersey City Medical Center officials said they have seen 40 walk-in patients from the crash, with 11 patients in the emergency department.
Hoboken University Medical Center officials said they received 22 patients from the crash, including five with lacerations and three fractures.
"Initial reports indicate multiple critical injuries," said the New Jersey Transit in a statement.
"At approximately 8:45 a.m. local time, train 1614, a Pascack Valley line departure from Spring Valley operating to Hoboken, struck the Hoboken Terminal building on track 5," said the statement.
A large part of station roof has collapsed amid heavy and extensive damage to the train and the station due to the crash. Twisted piles of metal and bricks as well as other debris are scattered across the platform, pictures on social media show.
Preliminary reports suggested the crash was an accident or caused by operator error, though it was early in the investigation.
Several fast food stores and bars close to the scene put out free coffee and mineral water on the roadside for the emergency response staff passing by.
The New Jersey governor said there is no indication so far that the crash was anything but a "tragic accident," but noted it was too early to make assumptions.
