The 28-year-old had reportedly jumped down onto tracks at the end of a tunnel near Ludlow station in Shropshire, but had underestimated the drop.
West Midlands Ambulance Service said the man had a serious chest injury but was conscious and breathing when medics managed to reach the location.
He was taken by train to the station and then put in an ambulance.
The ambulance took him to a waiting helicopter which then flew him to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, in Birmingham, for emergency care.
The man fell at about 10:15 GMT and several trains were delayed as a result.
An ambulance service spokesman said: "Due to their location and the difficult terrain, staff decided to use a train to safely transport the patient back to the station.
"This was a protracted and complex case due to its location, but the patient received seamless treatment thanks to excellent team work between different ambulance teams and the station staff."
Paramedics have used a train to take a man to hospital after he plunged 20ft (7m) onto a railway line.