Motorway service area Motorway service area Motorway service areas in the United Kingdom, also known as 'service stations' or 'services', are places where drivers can leave a motorway to refuel/recharge, rest, eat and drink, shop or stay in an on-site overnight hotel. The vast majority of motorway services in the UK are owned by one of three companies: Moto, Welcome Break and Roadchef. Smaller operators include Extra, Westmorland and EuroGarages. The first service area in the UK was at Watford Gap on the M1, which opened with the motorway on 2 November 1959. As more service stations opened, the number of operating companies
Extra (service areas) government deregulated motorway services to encourage more competition and its first site opened in December 2000, at Cambridge. Peterborough opened in January 2001 and Baldock in July 2001. Extra developed its first three service stations at a cost of £60m. The parent company was set up in 1992 by Stephen Spouge, who is now Chairman. Its service stations are designed by Nash and Partners of West Sussex. The fuel reservoirs are built by WEFCO of Gainsborough. It originally planned 17 service stations and currently operates a total of 9 service stations, and 2 petrol stations at competitor owned sites: Extra