A railway gateman lost his hands after bike-borne men attacked him when he refused to open a level-crossing gate as a train was approaching, in the early hours of Monday in New Delhi.

Kudan Pathak, a resident of Banka district of Bihar, was manning gate number 19 between Narela and Rathdhana at 1 am on Monday when three men on a bike demanded the level-crossing gate be opened. When Pathak, 28, refused, as the 18101 Muri Express was approaching, the assailants attacked him, officials said.

Railway officials said an injured Pathak was rushed to the Northern Railway Central Hospital where he was given first aid after which he was shifted to a hospital in Rohini.

"His one hand was completely severed and the other was detached from the forearm and severely mutilated. He also received serious injuries to his legs and neck. His brother was also injured," said railway officials.

Pathak's hands were reattached after a major surgery that went on for more than four hours, said Northern Railway spokesperson Nitin Chowdhury.

His brother Chandan Kumar Singh has been admitted to the Ram Manohar Lohia hospital.

"All expenses are being borne by the railways to see to it that he survives and is back amongst us," the railway official said.

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal visited Pathak at the hospital.

An FIR has been lodged against unknown persons with the Government Railway Police, Northern Railway, Sonepat. Police are also probing an angle of personal rivalry.

Soon after news of the attack broke, protestors demanding safety of staff deployed at unmanned level crossings at remote locations blocked traffic for around five hours on the affected stretch, resulting in many passenger and goods trains getting delayed.