A new service station on the M1 in South Yorkshire has been rated Britain's best motorway services, scoring a near-perfect 99% satisfaction rate. Welcome Break Rotherham received the top score, with more than eight in 10 visitors saying they would recommend the site, according to a poll of 37,000 motorists by Transport Focus.
Survey findings across 123 sites
The Transport Focus motorway services user survey asked visitors about toilets, accessibility, food and drink, facilities for HGV and lorry drivers, and electric vehicle (EV) charging. Seven other services also achieved a 99% satisfaction rate, including Moto Rugby, Moto Sawtry and Welcome Break Sarn Park.
In total, 123 motorway services were included in the survey, with Watford Gap Northbound ranking last for overall satisfaction. The satisfaction score for the Northamptonshire site has declined by 9% since 2023.
Best and worst performers
Watford Gap, located on the M1 and operated by Roadchef, also has southbound services that ranked in the bottom five. While Rotherham is one of the newest motorway services in the country, having opened in January 2025, Watford Gap is the joint oldest, having opened in November 1959.
Roadchef operates four of the five services with the lowest overall satisfaction and has announced more than £300 million of investment across its business over the next five years. The average score across all Roadchef services was 93%, 3% lower than the joint-top operators Moto and Extra.
Accessibility and driver feedback
Louise Collins, director at Transport Focus, said: "Motorway services have improved significantly over the years, and road users are seeing the benefit. There is still more to do, including on car parking, wayfinding and facilities for HGV drivers, and our survey will help us track progress in these areas in the years ahead."
Three-quarters of disabled visitors said the services catered well for their impairment, an increase of 13% since 2022 but still one of the lowest scores for a category in the survey. Ms Collins added: "We've also seen real progress on accessibility. It shows what can be achieved when the industry recognises an issue and works together to tackle it."
HGV drivers reported a 90% satisfaction rate, lower than the general public, with only 54% viewing HGV parking availability positively, 51% saying the number of showers was sufficient, and 42% happy with the value of the parking package. No services scored higher than 74% for the value of food and drink, and overall satisfaction with EV charging was 58%.
