Video footage of the incident at Ballarat station, filmed by the train surfer himself, was uploaded to YouTube on Tuesday, showing an exchange between the pair complete with colourful language.

The worker warns the man that he should get off as the train is about to start, to which the train surfer replies: “F***, why should I?”

V/Line moved quickly to say train surfing is illegal.

“Train surfing is extremely dangerous and something V/Line will not tolerate,” a spokeswoman said.

“The railway is not a playground and this type of risky behaviour could turn to tragedy.

“Our VLocity trains, which travel on the Ballarat line, can reach speeds up to 160km/h so the consequences of travelling on the outside of a train could be fatal or result in serious injury.

“Our staff are always checking for safety on-board services and at stations across the network, and V/Line will always report these types of incidents to police.

“If anyone in the community witnesses this type of dangerous behaviour, we would also urge them to contact police immediately.”

It comes just months after V/Line said trespassers on tracks went some way to explaining a decline in on-time services.

Dramatic video footage emerged in February of a dirt bike rider leaping off the tracks seconds before a V/Line train smashed into his bike at 147 km/hr near Ballan.

The driver of the train, Colin Sharp, later told radio station 3AW that he was left shaken by the incident.

“I really honestly thought that I had him and thank god that I didn't,” he said.