A busy rail crossing closed after a Range Rover ploughed through the gates has reopened earlier than planned.

Network Rail bosses initially thought Chartham crossing would remain shut until mid-July, but engineers worked through the night this week to fit a bespoke pair of gates.

The reopening means residents can now use the village's main road which links to the A28.

The crossing had been shut for three weeks following the smash on Friday, June 16 that left the previous 30-year-old gates damaged beyond repair.

Network Rail's level crossing manager, Paul Coleman, said: "I’m very grateful for the patience our neighbours have shown and their understanding of what we’ve had to do to get this crossing open again.

"The gates, which are swung open and shut by hand, are linked to the signalling system to keep road users and passengers safe. Without the gates, we could not keep the level crossing open as there was no way to signal trains through the village safely."

On the evening of the crash, a gatekeeper had only just shut the crossing at about 7.45pm because a train was due to arrive.

The Range Rover smashed through both crossing gates and into a parked car.

Mr Coleman added: "I would also like to thank our crossing keeper, Andrew, whose quick thinking meant the trains were stopped when the incident happened. It was a shocking incident to witness and his actions kept everyone safe."