Top motorway services revealed

Research by Northgate Vehicle Hire has revealed the ‘top motorway services in the UK’.

Extra’s Cobham services on the M25 claimed to the top spot of the research, achieving a score of 86.6/100.

Located at Junction 9/10, Cobham services scored highly due to its number of parking spaces (4,620) and choice of food outlets, including Nando’s, Leon and Starbucks, Northgate said.

Beaconsfield at Junction 42 of the M40 was rated the second highest, with a score of 83.9/100 for its facilities including KFC, El Mexicana, Greggs and Pizza Express and other shops.

Northgate said Beaconsfield lost points on the number of parking spaces it provides, as it has a quarter less than Cobham, with 1,210 spaces.

The midlands services of Peterborough round off the top three, with a score of 72.6. Located on the A1 (M), it has fewer eateries than the top two and has less room for drivers with 400 parking spaces.

Cambridge services on the A14 and Strensham on the M5 complete the top five, with scores of 69.5 and 69.4 out of a possible 100, respectively.

Best motorways for available service stations

The M40 ranked as the best motorway for available service stations with an average score of 72.4 points, according to the research.

London’s M25 placed fifth, and the motorway that connects London to the north, the M1 came in 13th position. The M23 in Surrey achieved an average score of 33.9.

According to the research, the average rank of all service stations was 55.10, but the Extra services come out on top as the most consistently high service station provider with an average rank of 67.5 across all sites.

The research also revealed that 97% of service stations offered EV charging points.

As part of the research, Northgate analysed the facilities of 100 locations across the UK, considering: parking cost, number of parking spaces, electric vehicle (EV) charge points, Wi-Fi, shops, food, showers, hotel and hotel rating, arcade and play area.

See full results of the UK Service Stations Index on the Northgate Vehicle Hire website.