Thurrock services
M25 at J30 (southbound) and J31 (northbound)
(also accessible to traffic on the A13, A282, A1090, A1306 and the B186)
Signposted from the road? Yes (as Burger King/Costa/M&S)
RM16 3BG
map and directions
Single site located at a junction.
An experimental building design which either went very wrong, or very right, depending on how you look at it. Thurrock sits slightly isolated alongside a busy section of the M25, where finding the exit can be a challenge.
Facilities
Catering: Burger King, Costa Coffee, Greggs, KFC, Costa Express, Krispy Kreme Shops: M&S Simply Food, Phone Tech, WHSmith Amenities: Changing Places, Full Hou$e, Lucky Coin, Showers Outdoor Space: Grass area at car park entrance (care needed) Charging Points: GRIDSERVE Electric Highway HPC 350kW CCS, 100kW CHAdeMO & 22kW Type 2; Tesla Supercharger 250kW Forecourt: Esso, Londis, Subway, Costa Express, f'real Milkshakes, Rollover, Stone Willy's Kitchen, Tango Ice Blast
Parking Prices
First 2 hours free for all vehicles, after which cars must pay £15 and HGVs, caravans and motorhomes £35. HGVs can pay £38 to include a £10 food voucher.
Prices are paid in the shop or by using JustPark. The location code is 625158.
HGVs can also pay by using SNAP. The location code is 13439.
The fees are strictly enforced by GroupNexus.
Use of the forecourt is also strictly enforced by Euro Car Parks, with a strict HGV parking ban within the vicinity.
This information is provided to us by third parties. You should always check with staff on site.
Contact Details
🏢 Address:
Moto Hospitality Ltd
Thurrock Motorway Services Area
M25
Grays
Essex
RM16 3BG
- Amenity building operated by Moto
- Forecourt operated by MFG
- Foursquare Page
- 📞 Telephone number: 01708 865487
- 📌 what3words: ///mobile.puts.reach
- more map options
Trivia and Design
See also: History:Thurrock
To take advantage of the hill down to the lake at the back (a feature which is often forgotten given the otherwise bleak backdrop), the service area has its entrance and facilities on the first floor, with the now-closed restaurant visible below. The walkway up to the entrance inadvertently has a very industrial appearance which befits its location.
This service area can experience a 'mini rush hour' at 21:55 as the Dartford Crossing, immediately south of here, is free to use after 22:00 only. As a result astute and frugal motorists will wait in the car park until the end of the charging period.
A couple held their wedding reception at this service area after winning a mystery prize from a local radio station. They were treated to several laps of the M25 on a coach.
GRIDSERVE are seeking to build an electric HGV charging hub in the lorry park. This would be the first on the British motorway network.
Hotel Changes
At the end of the 2021 Coronavirus lockdown, Travelodge announced that their hotel at Thurrock services wouldn't be reopening, with them having newer branch at nearby Thurrock Lakeside. The hotel was sold to AGO Hotels, who reopened it as an Ibis Budget in 2022.
Following the closure of the hotel, Moto also closed their last remaining EDC restaurant here.
Their hotel was integrated into the main amenity building, and its closure would leave a significant portion of the building without a tenant. In fact, between this and the original basement restaurant having closed, a large portion of the floorspace was closed to the public.
Recent Changes
Moto added an additional 10 new ultra-rapid GRIDSERVE chargers here in April 2022, along with an additional 10 medium-power chargers. There are also planned to add 16 new Tesla Superchargers too. MFG have also proposed building eight new chargers in their forecourt.
A Phone Tech store was added to the service area in late 2022, with Arnold Clark opening a vehicle collection office on site too in 2023. Both are seen as additional income streams for Moto.
The former EDC space was replaced with a new KFC restaurant on 18 December 2023. An expanded HGV parking area opened in May 2024.
Signage Issues
A 5-mile approach sign for the northbound services is the most advance example of one on the motorway network. It has the subheading "through tunnel" explaining the reason for the early warning. Motorway-style signs are used throughout, despite this road technically not being a motorway, and that may be why these signs haven't been updated for so long.
A very unusual feature is that traffic which misses the exit at J31 is told it can use J30 instead. This is due to the restrictions when leaving the east tunnel. The size of the roundabouts will add a considerable distance to an anti-clockwise journey - almost two miles.
Alternatives
| Previous: | Next: | |
| South Mimms (34 miles) Birchanger Green (M11 north, 32 miles) | Services on the M25 | end of road |
| start of road | Services on the A282 | Clacket Lane (M25, 21 miles) Maidstone (M20, 30 miles) Medway (M2, 27 miles) Tollgate (A2 east, 10 miles) |
| none | Services on the A13 | Orsett (7 miles) |
| Toddington (M1 north, 54 miles) | Moto services | Medway (M2, 27 miles) Pease Pottage (M23 south, 43 miles) |
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