A woman has been charged with racially abusing other passengers while travelling on a train in Sydney.

The 55-year-old was arrested on the New South Wales Central Coast on Thursday.

A commuter captured her racist tirade on camera on the train between Central and Strathfield stations on Wednesday afternoon.

She will face a Sydney court later this month.

Investigators are appealing to any passengers who witnessed the incident to come forward.

It is believed the confrontation began when the woman tried to get children travelling on the train to give up their seats.

In the video the woman abuses the man filming and a woman sitting next to him.

"Can't you get an Aussie girlfriend? You had to get a gook, you sad, poor pathetic man... Is it really that small you can't get an Aussie girl?" she said.

"What's wrong with Hong Kong? Why'd you come to this country? This is our country."

The woman also mocked the passenger's accent and pulled at her eyes in a racist gesture.

"I'm actually married. I'm not with her," the man replies.

Officers met the abusive woman at her destination, Strathfield Station, after other passengers complained about her behaviour to train guards, but they failed to take any action.

"Their inquiries basically left this person to go about her journey and travel to another destination," Assistant Police Commissioner Max Mitchell said.

A similar incident last year led to a woman being charged with offensive language after she verbally abused an Asian student on a Sydney bus.

Assistant Police Commissioner Mitchell has described the latest incident as "totally abhorrent".

"This behaviour is totally unacceptable and we will not tolerate this sort of behaviour occurring anywhere on the public transport system," he said.

"This person has committed offensive behaviour. It is a crime that we will not tolerate, particularly in regards to the racial motivation behind this incident."

Call to retain Racial Discrimination Act in current form

Race Discrimination Commissioner Dr Tim Soutphommasane said in a statement there was no excuse for acts of racial insult, humiliation and intimidation.

"I commend those passengers who have brought this incident to public attention," he said.

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"It is important that we hold people accountable for racist abuse and vilification.

"When confronted with such conduct, everyone should consider a response, including reporting it to a relevant authority."

Dr Soutphommasane told the ABC the incident highlights the importance of retaining the Racial Discrimination Act in its current form.

The Federal Government wants to repeal Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act, which prohibits offensive behaviour based on racial hatred.

But Mr Soutphommasane says the law sends a clear message about what is unacceptable in Australian society.

"One of the serious problems with signalling to the community that you have a right to be a bigot is that it can embolden people to believe that they can racially abuse and vilify someone else and not have to face consequences for doing that," he said.

"So I believe it's important that we retain the existing protections under the Racial Discrimination Act.

"The law broadcasts our society's commitment to saying no to racism."

The woman from Buff Point was issued with a notice to appear in court on July 31 for offensive language.