A court has awarded a Sydney man $3000 and ruled he was falsely imprisoned after being stopped by police for four minutes at a suburban train station.

Sam Le, 24, was walking into Liverpool railway station in January last year when two police officers asked him to show his Opal card and concession card.

After handing them over, the officers requested a form of photo identification to prove the cards belonged to him.

Mr Le challenged the request for ID, telling the officers they had no right to demand photo identification as the Opal card and concession card offered proof of identity.

He also videoed the exchange with the officers on his mobile phone.

A transcript of the footage was produced in Sydney District Court , revealing one of the officers said to Mr Le: "So why are you being a smart ass for?" and he tells the police that their behaviour is "very unprofessional".

In other footage, Mr Le said: "So this officer is now demanding … my driver's licence when I'm not even in a car."

After one of the officers refused to tell him his first name, Mr Le was told: "Yeah, put it into whatever social media you want. Be a hero."

When he asked the police if he was under arrest, the officers told Mr Le he was not, but he was being "detained" while they verified his identity.

Following four minutes and 15 seconds waiting on the station platform as police performed a radio check, Mr Le was told he was "free to go".

In its findings, the court said the police did not have the power to demand commuters produce more than their Opal card and concession card, unless they did not have their concession card with them and had other "relevant evidence" to support their entitlement to the concession.

Mr Le gave evidence in court that he received a disability pension.