Motorway Services Online

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{{Services
{{Services
|type = motorway
|type = motorway
|image = Reading West 2019.jpg
|image = Reading West 2024.jpg
|operator = Moto
|operator = Moto
|road = [[M4]] between J11 and J12
|road = [[M4]] between J11 and J12
|postcode = RG30 3UQ
|postcode = RG30 3UQ
|telephone = 0118 956 6966
|signposted = Yes
|signposted = Yes
|stype = Two sites located between junctions, with no public connection between them.
|stype = Two sites located between junctions, with no public connection between them
|rating = Reading
|rating = Reading
|coords = 51.424427, -1.034753
|coords = 51.424467, -1.0347379
|markerpost = 030-x
|markerpost = 0030-f
|briefroad = M4 between J11 and J12 }}
|briefroad = M4 between J11 and J12
|smartmotorway = yes
}}


Once one the M4's big retailing services, Reading retains its atriums on either side of the road.
Once one the M4's big shopping service areas, Reading retains its atriums on either side of the road.


==Facilities==
==Facilities==
{{Facilities|Restaurants| {{Burger King}}, {{Chow}}, {{Costa}}, {{Greggs}}, {{West Cornwall Pasty Company}}, {{Costa Express}}, {{Krispy Kreme}}, [[M&S Coffee to Go]], {{Costa Drive Thru}}
{{facilities| Catering | {{Burger King}}, {{Chow}}, {{Costa Coffee}}, {{Greggs}}, {{KFC}}, {{Pret A Manger}}, {{West Cornwall Pasty Co}}, {{Costa Express}}, f'real Milkshakes, {{Krispy Kreme}}, {{M&S Coffee to Go}}, Tango Ice Blast, Urban Legend Doughnuts, {{Costa Drive Thru}} }}
|W={{El Mexicana|W|s}}, {{KFC|W|s}} }}
{{facilities| Shops | {{M&S Food}}, {{WHSmith}}
{{Facilities|Shops| {{M&S Simply Food}}, {{WHSmith}}}}
|W = {{Phone Tech|W|s}} }}
{{Facilities|Amenities| Dog Walking Area, {{Ecotricity}}, [[Full Hou$e]], [[Lucky Coin]], Showers
{{facilities| Amenities | {{Travelodge}}, {{Changing Places}}, {{Full Hou$e}}, {{Lucky Coin}}, {{Revolution Laundry}}, Showers }}
|W={{Children's Play Area|W|s}}
{{facilities| Outdoor Space | Large grass area behind each hotel
|E={{Moto Meetings|E|s}} }}
|W = {{Children's Play Area|W|s}} }}
{{Facilities|Motel| {{Travelodge||65/Reading-M4-Westbound|238/Reading-M4-Eastbound|dir=e}}}}
{{facilities| Charging Points | bp pulse 150kW CCS & 120kW CHAdeMO; GRIDSERVE Electric Highway HPC 350kW CCS, 100kW CHAdeMO & 22kW Type 2
{{Facilities|Forecourt| {{BP|lpg=yes}}, [[BP Connect|Shop]], {{Wild Bean Cafe}}, Air1 AdBlue }}
|W = Tesla Supercharger 250kW }}
{{facilities| Forecourt | {{BP}}, [[BP Connect|Shop]], {{M&S Food}}, {{Wild Bean Cafe}}, Free Cash Machine }}


==Parking Prices==
==Parking Prices==
First two hours free for all vehicles, after which cars must pay £15 and HGVs, caravans and motorhomes £30.50. HGVs can pay £32.50 to include a £10 food voucher.
First 2 hours free for all vehicles, after which cars must pay £15 and HGVs, caravans and motorhomes £33. HGVs can pay £36 to include a £10 food voucher.
 
Prices are paid in the shop or by using [https://www.justpark.com/parking/products/how-it-works JustPark]. The location code is 625147 (westbound) and 625146 (eastbound).
 
HGVs can also pay by using [https://snapacc.com/ SNAP]. The location code is 13482 (westbound) and 13481 (eastbound).


Prices are paid using [[PayByPhone|PayByPhone - more details]]. The location code is 2457 (westbound) and 2456 (eastbound).
The fees are strictly enforced by [[GroupNexus]].


The fees are strictly enforced by [[CP Plus]].
{{Parking Disclaimer}}


==Contact Details==
==Contact Details==
Line 40: Line 46:
RG30 3UQ
RG30 3UQ
|telephone = 0118 956 6966
|telephone = 0118 956 6966
|gridref = SU671699
|websites =  
|website = https://moto-way.com/location/reading-westbound/ Official Moto/Reading Westbound Website]
* [https://moto-way.com/services/reading-westbound/ Westbound amenity building operated by Moto]
* [https://moto-way.com/location/reading-eastbound/ Official Moto/Reading Eastbound Website
* [https://moto-way.com/services/reading-eastbound/ Eastbound amenity building operated by Moto]
* [https://www.travelodge.co.uk/hotels/65/Reading-M4-Westbound-hotel Westbound hotel operated by Travelodge]
* [https://www.travelodge.co.uk/hotels/238/Reading-M4-Eastbound-hotel Eastbound hotel operated by Travelodge]
* [https://map.bp.com/en-GB/GB/petrol-station/reading/reading-west-connect-mwsa/4025 Westbound forecourt operated by BP Express]
* [https://map.bp.com/en-GB/GB/petrol-station/reading/reading-east-connect-mwsa/4024 Eastbound forecourt operated by BP Express]
|foursquare = 4b59d578f964a520de9a28e3 }}
|foursquare = 4b59d578f964a520de9a28e3 }}


==Trivia and History==
==Trivia and Design==
{{Gallery
[[File:Reading inside.jpg|250px|thumb|right|alt=Eat & Drink Co. restaurant.|The former restaurant area.]]
|image = Reading west.jpg
{{fulldetails|History:Reading}}
|size = 250
|caption = The original core of the building was the atrium - it's now all extended outwards.
|keydates = {{Key Date | 1995 | Opened by [[Granada]] }}
{{Key Date | 2001 | Re-branded [[Moto]] }} }}
In Spring 2017, [[Transport Focus]] calculated a 100% satisfaction score for the westbound services and 96% for the eastbound services. This made the westbound services one of the country's top two. By 2019, westbound had fallen to 84%, with eastbound on 90%.
In Spring 2017, [[Transport Focus]] calculated a 100% satisfaction score for the westbound services and 96% for the eastbound services. This made the westbound services one of the country's top two. By 2019, westbound had fallen to 84%, with eastbound on 90%.


===Planning===
As one of the newer service areas, Reading's two buildings are both build around an atrium, with south-facing windows. Over time this has been extended significantly with new retail units.
When the M4 was being planned in the 1960s, there was going to be a service station at [[Warren Copse]], near Maidenhead. This hit a number of planning issues that threatened to delay the whole M4 project, so it was agreed that the service area would be pursued separately. There was also talk about additional services near Theale.
 
The M4 opened with a large gap between services - 55 miles between [[Heston]] and [[Membury]] - but the authorities continued to fail to agree on where the missing service area should be placed. In 1986, after 20 years of debate, the Department of Transport insisted that they were investigating a new service area "in the Reading area".
 
In 1987, [[Mobil]] made a plan for Reading services as we know it, on an old landfill site. This was rejected because the Department of Transport were still insisting that they had the issue in hand. The plan had sliproads at the western end, with an amenity building in the middle. It came with an alternative option which involved building on the westbound side only, with a flyover allowing eastbound traffic to use it.
 
In 1992 the Department of Transport ceased all involvement in service area planning. As a result, Mobil were free to develop their plan, and chose to lease the site to [[Granada]] as the operator of the main facilities. Their next plan had the westbound amenity building positioned further from the road, with both car parks being west of their respective amenity buildings and the motel to the west of that. This was revised to the present layout before construction started.
 
In the 1990s there were vague plans to widen the M4. As a result, the development deliberately left a 67 metre gap between the motorway and any construction, to allow space for whatever new road layout would be chosen. The sliproads were positioned so that they could easily be realigned to meet a new motorway. This space is best seen in an aerial photo.
 
Reading opened in 1995. Each side had a glass pyramid entrance, painted dark red. This design survives on the westbound side but with new signage and colours. The main part of each building was a circle with low, wide windows. Parking was charged at £5 for cars, £8 for HGVs and a £25 fine for anybody who was caught leaving their vehicle overnight without paying.
 
===Extensions and Branding===
[[File:UpperCrust.jpg|250px|thumb|right|The former Upper Crust.|alt=Upper Crust.]]
The original layout of both buildings took the form of a simple atrium, with a free-flow Granada Restaurant, a [[Burger King]], a short corridor leading to the toilets, the arcade and a shop all located around it. The eastbound side soon gained a [[Granada Lodge]] too.
 
The first change came in 1997, when Granada added a [[Little Chef]] restaurant, their new acquisition, to the end of both toilets corridors. Granada's plan was to use the Little Chef to allow them to close the main restaurant in the evenings. The westbound Travelodge was built at the same time.
 
In 1998, following their merger, Mobil's petrol station branding was changed to [[BP Express]].
 
In 1999 there was a plan to turn Reading westbound into a test case for a business centre. This took the form of a large coffee lounge, described as "an airport lounge for motorists". It would have been built in the gap between the main atrium and the hotel, and was a legacy of Pentagram's plan to turn Granada around.
 
At the same time, Granada chose both sides of Reading to become examples of their mini shopping centre sites. Five retail units would be added to the front of each building, including a [[Ladbrokes]]. Only the eastbound side was built. One possible reason for this was confusion about what the maximum permitted size of a shopping centre at a service station was: the Highways Agency said it was 5,000sq ft overall, but Granada insisted it should be interpreted as 5,000sq ft per side. They also looked at adding a [[Granada 2Go]] takeaway unit to the front of each building, but neither of these were built.
 
In around 2001 a [[Burger King]] drive thru was going to be added to the petrol station, like at [[Stafford (North)]], but the plan was withdrawn.


In 2002 the area designated for the eastbound Little Chef became a BT Workspace. It was the sequel to the coffee lounge idea, and boasted contemporary perks of the time such as a phone and internet connection. They also looked at moving Ladbrokes to a separate building, but this wasn't built.
During summer 2021, the former westbound external [[Costa]] kiosk was refurbished and rented out to Evapo Vape Shop. They later closed in April 2022. The kiosk was rented by [[Top Gift]] in 2023, with [[Phone Tech]] taking the unit in early 2024 following Top Gift's closure.


In 2006 there were plans for the [[Fresh Express]] to be branded 'Real Food Company'. A change of owners meant that was halted, and [[EDC]] was launched instead.  
Moto added electric vehicle charging hubs on both sides in 2022, which both feature a further 12 ultra-rapid chargers. The eastbound hub went live in December 2022, with the westbound hub following in January 2023.


In 2016 the westbound service area were refurbished. The former Upper Crust was replaced by an extended Costa, while Arlo's, Chow and El Mexicana replaced the westbound EDC. In summer 2016, [[BP Express|BP]] refurbished their Wild Bean Cafés to their latest style, closing their M&S stores in the process.
BP Pulse electric vehicle charging points were also installed here in 2020, but due to disputes between BP and Moto about power supply the eastbound side was only switched on in March 2023. Works continued on the westbound side to install additional power supply for the chargers in summer 2023, with the chargers eventually going live in Autumn 2023.


At the start of April 2017, the eastbound side gained Moto's first [[Costa Drive Thru]], which was built by moving the caravan parking. A westbound one was later built. In December 2017, a new Chow opened within part of EDC's servery, making EDC a lot smaller.
The eastbound side received major investment in 2022 with the toilets and showers being refurbished along with the former [[EDC]] restaurant being replaced by a relocated Costa store as well as a new KFC restaurant, which opened on 30 May 2022. Moto also added an additional 18 HGV spaces as part of their investment into improving facilities for HGV drivers.


In May 2019, the westbound [[Arlo's]] closed to make way for a new [[KFC]] unit which opened on 1 July 2019. The Chow unit opened as '''Breakfast @ Arlo's''' at 6am and begins to serve the Chow menu at lunchtime.
The westbound side also received a toilet and shower refurbishment and 18 additional HGV spaces in 2022, with works commencing on the inside of the main building to add a [[Pret A Manger]] store in early 2023. The new Pret A Manger store opened on 28 March 2023 and replaced the space formerly occupied by the main Costa store. The additional second Costa store at the back of the building has since become the main Costa store, gaining a refurbishment in early March 2023.


While a Greggs has been built outside, from the outside the westbound building is still close to its original design.
Moto were also looking at adding a [[Greggs|Greggs Drive Thru]] to the area by the eastbound coach park, which would have been the first Greggs drive-thru at a motorway service area and a second drive thru option for Reading eastbound, but this is no longer the case. Following the opening of the new drive-thru, the current Greggs store was lined up to become a [[Pret A Manger]] store, but a Pret A Manger store was later added inside the main building on 19 March 2024 instead.


In late 2019, the tiny eastbound EDC counter closed. The westbound Breakfast @ Arlo's soon followed this and closed in December 2019 in favour of fast food options.
Moto's next project could be to build a solar farm next to the eastbound service area, providing power for the facilities and the charging points.


==Alternatives==
==Alternatives==
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{{bottomnav}}
{{bottomnav}}
[[Category:1990s]][[Category:M4]][[Category:HA Approved Truckstops]][[Category:M4 (Great Britain)]]
[[Category:1990s]][[Category:M4]][[Category:HA Approved Truckstops]][[Category:M4 (Great Britain)]][[Category:Services on TV]]

Latest revision as of 22:36, 5 January 2025

Reading
Reading services
Camera icon
Camera icon
Many more photos in the gallery
Location:

M4 between J11 and J12

Signposted from the road.

Postcode:

RG30 3UQ

map and directions

Access/Layout:

Two sites located between junctions, with no public connection between them.

Rating: See the reviews


Once one the M4's big shopping service areas, Reading retains its atriums on either side of the road.

Facilities

Catering: Burger King, Chow, Costa Coffee, Greggs, KFC, Pret A Manger, West Cornwall Pasty Co., Costa Express, f'real Milkshakes, Krispy Kreme, M&S Coffee to Go, Tango Ice Blast, Urban Legend Doughnuts, Costa Drive Thru Shops: on both sides: M&S Food, WHSmith
plus westbound only: Phone Tech Amenities: Travelodge, Changing Places, Full Hou$e, Lucky Coin, Revolution Laundry, Showers Outdoor Space: on both sides: Large grass area behind each hotel
plus westbound only: Children's Play Area Charging Points: on both sides: bp pulse 150kW CCS & 120kW CHAdeMO; GRIDSERVE Electric Highway HPC 350kW CCS, 100kW CHAdeMO & 22kW Type 2
plus westbound only: Tesla Supercharger 250kW Forecourt: BP, Shop, M&S Food, Wild Bean Café, Free Cash Machine

Parking Prices

First 2 hours free for all vehicles, after which cars must pay £15 and HGVs, caravans and motorhomes £33. HGVs can pay £36 to include a £10 food voucher.

Prices are paid in the shop or by using JustPark. The location code is 625147 (westbound) and 625146 (eastbound).

HGVs can also pay by using SNAP. The location code is 13482 (westbound) and 13481 (eastbound).

The fees are strictly enforced by GroupNexus.

This information is provided to us by third parties. You should always check with staff on site.

Contact Details

🏢 Address:
Reading Motorway Service Area
Burghfield
Reading
Berkshire
RG30 3UQ

🌍 Operators & Official Websites:


Trivia and Design

Eat & Drink Co. restaurant.
The former restaurant area.

See also: History:Reading

In Spring 2017, Transport Focus calculated a 100% satisfaction score for the westbound services and 96% for the eastbound services. This made the westbound services one of the country's top two. By 2019, westbound had fallen to 84%, with eastbound on 90%.

As one of the newer service areas, Reading's two buildings are both build around an atrium, with south-facing windows. Over time this has been extended significantly with new retail units.

During summer 2021, the former westbound external Costa kiosk was refurbished and rented out to Evapo Vape Shop. They later closed in April 2022. The kiosk was rented by Top Gift in 2023, with Phone Tech taking the unit in early 2024 following Top Gift's closure.

Moto added electric vehicle charging hubs on both sides in 2022, which both feature a further 12 ultra-rapid chargers. The eastbound hub went live in December 2022, with the westbound hub following in January 2023.

BP Pulse electric vehicle charging points were also installed here in 2020, but due to disputes between BP and Moto about power supply the eastbound side was only switched on in March 2023. Works continued on the westbound side to install additional power supply for the chargers in summer 2023, with the chargers eventually going live in Autumn 2023.

The eastbound side received major investment in 2022 with the toilets and showers being refurbished along with the former EDC restaurant being replaced by a relocated Costa store as well as a new KFC restaurant, which opened on 30 May 2022. Moto also added an additional 18 HGV spaces as part of their investment into improving facilities for HGV drivers.

The westbound side also received a toilet and shower refurbishment and 18 additional HGV spaces in 2022, with works commencing on the inside of the main building to add a Pret A Manger store in early 2023. The new Pret A Manger store opened on 28 March 2023 and replaced the space formerly occupied by the main Costa store. The additional second Costa store at the back of the building has since become the main Costa store, gaining a refurbishment in early March 2023.

Moto were also looking at adding a Greggs Drive Thru to the area by the eastbound coach park, which would have been the first Greggs drive-thru at a motorway service area and a second drive thru option for Reading eastbound, but this is no longer the case. Following the opening of the new drive-thru, the current Greggs store was lined up to become a Pret A Manger store, but a Pret A Manger store was later added inside the main building on 19 March 2024 instead.

Moto's next project could be to build a solar farm next to the eastbound service area, providing power for the facilities and the charging points.

Alternatives

Previous:Next:
Heston (32 miles)
South Mimms (M25 north, 54 miles)
Cobham (M25 south, 45 miles)
Toddington (M1 north, 63 miles)		Services on the M4Chieveley (12 miles)
Heston (32 miles)
Toddington (M1 north, 63 miles)		Moto servicesChieveley (12 miles)

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