“According to initial findings, an avalanche may have crossed the tracks shortly before the train passed,” police stated, adding that the public prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation.
“Five people were injured. One of them was taken to hospital,” police added.
The regional commuter train was on its way from Spiez to Brig when it derailed.
Goppenstein, a key hub for road and rail transport, sits at the exit of the Lotschberg rail tunnel. The train derailed as it was exiting the tunnel, police said.
The region is under its second highest avalanche warning – level four of five.
Heavy snow also resulted in 50 people being evacuated from the village of Orsieres, near the French border.
Skiers have been warned by authorities to stay on the marked slopes, and those walking in the mountains should also check avalanche bulletins before setting off.
Last month, a German man was killed in an avalanche, and four other people were injured, as they were cross-country skiing in the Swiss alps.