Heartstopping moment good Samaritan risks his life to save a man standing on train track

Shortly before 10am on Sunday a man was spotted standing on the tracks at Melbourne's South Yarra station, a few stops southeast of the CBD.

CCTV footage captured the bare-footed man standing motionless between two rail lines while commuters frantically gestured and called out to him from the platforms on either side.

A man wearing a black T-shirt appears to be discussing the situation with a station staff member before suddenly jumping down from the platform onto the tracks.

He runs to the man standing between the tracks and pulls him towards the platform.

The stranded man appears to go willingly with his rescuer while being held in a loose bear hug.

With this bit of encouragement the bare-footed man skips over the rail lines and clambers onto the platform with a helping hand from the Metro Trains staff member.

The rescuer also scrambles nimbly up to safety.

Metro Trains later told Channel Nine that trains on approach to the station had been stopped after the man was spotted on the rail tracks.

It is unknown if the heroic rescuer knew the trains had been stopped before his valiant dash across the tracks.