The nearly fatal incident was caught on camera, with V/Line releasing dramatic footage taken from the driver's cabin.

The video shows the rider desperately trying to free his motorbike which had become stuck on tracks near Ballan, 78 kilometres northwest of Melbourne.

The rider - one of a group who was riding along train tracks on the Ballarat line - made a last-second jump to avoid the approaching train. His bike went under the train's wheels.

The driver, Colin Sharp, told 3AW he initially thought he had hit the man.

Mr Sharp said people were not aware how much time and space a train travelling at 160km/h needed to stop.

He said the riders were only about 50 metres away from a proper crossing point.

V/Line CEO James Pinder said the footage was released to warn others about the dangers of trespassing on train tracks.

Mr Pinder said it was one of nearly 300 near hits on the network in the past year that have forced drivers to take evasive action such as sounding the whistle or applying emergency brakes when sighting people on or near tracks.

"Trains approaching at high speed are quieter than expected – and it can take nearly a kilometre for a train to stop once the driver applies the brakes," he said.

People should only cross railway lines at marked crossings, respect all warning signs and look both ways, he said.