Residents say the arrival of new automated gates at two level crossings have transformed access to their villages.

Two of Kent’s three remaining manned level crossings in Wye and Chartham recently became fully automated when their gatekeepers signed off for the last time.

The launch of the new systems brought an end to 175 years of railway history, but villagers say they have noticed a huge difference on the roads with less traffic and shorter waiting times.

Louise Courtenay, owner of East Kent Flower Company which is near the crossing in Wye said the changes have been welcomed by residents.

"We have been quite excited about the changes," she said.

"The timing of the gates is quicker.

"Between 8am and 8.30am it gets really busy and then again in the evening and the traffic can sometimes queue all the way round the corner.

"We haven't seen any of that yet, but it might just be because it's quieter and schools are off.

"It is much better for the air quality because we haven't had cars sitting idle for so long.

"The only issue we had was with the weekend they did the work on.

"It was the last weekend before Christmas which is usually one of our busiest times so we lost out on so many orders because of it.

"I'm really pleased it has been done, but why couldn't they do it in January when things are generally a lot quieter?"

Echoing praise for the upgrades is Sarah Borny, front of house at the Tickled Trout who has seen her commute reduced in time as a result.

She said: "As a driver myself, I love it. The traffic flow seems to be so much better.

"I travel in from Ashford most days and it is brilliant.

"I'm still coming in at the same time each morning but we haven't got the same amount of traffic waiting on the crossing.

"I'd like to think it's still going to be better when schools are back but it will be interesting to see what happens in the new year."

The crossings were closed on December 17 and 18 while the new gates are tested.

Then, from Monday, December 19, the crossings opened and were triggered remotely by signallers in the Canterbury and Wye Area Control Centre.

In Chartham, the upgrades have also been welcomed by residents and businesses, but there were a few teething problems soon after it opened.

"It broke down at first but it seems to be alright now," said Michael Down, manager at Tobin Motors.

"It's better because it seems to open and close quicker.

"You don't tend to wait for as long after the train has gone through.

"Before you'd have to wait for the signal, and for the bloke to get out of the box to open the gates, and now it's straight up.

"The closures were a bit of a pain but it was worth it."

However some motorists have still reported long delays despite the changes.

Chartham resident Neil Webber, 63, said he was stuck waiting almost 20 minutes trying to get through.

He said: "The gates packed up on the second day and it took the best part of 24 hours to get them working again."

The decision to upgrade the barriers - at a cost of £2.5 million each - was made after concerns were raised for the welfare of the gatekeepers.

In 2018, Network Rail was fined £200,000 over safety failures which led to an employee suffering serious injuries at a then-manual level crossing in East Farleigh, near Maidstone.

Signaller Doug Caddell was knocked unconscious and suffered a broken neck when a car struck the gate he was in the process of closing.

There had been a campaign in Chartham to keep its signal box amid fears it would be demolished, and to retain the gatekeepers, who are considered part of the heritage and character of the village.

Network Rail decided safety remained the priority, but agreed to keep and maintain the Victorian signal box.

The last-remaining manual gates in Kent, on the Isle of Grain, are also due to be made automatic in the new year.