Road Chef secures M6 Toll road contract

Motorway services operator Road Chef has won the contract to operate the only motorway service area to be built on the new M6 Toll road, due to open at the end of this year between the M42 junction and Cannock, Staffordshire.

The company beat off competition from rivals Moto and Welcome Break to win the 25-year contract, which is estimated to be worth £20m.

Chief executive John Greenwood confirmed the company is investing £3m in the services. It will include a Costa espresso bar, a Wimpy burger outlet and a Travel Inn budget hotel, as well as a meeting centre and a petrol station.

Greenwood said that running a service area on a toll road would be "more peaky" than on a regular motorway. "At peak times," he said, "our research shows that people will pay the toll and will feel more comfortable about stopping en route."

But he added that off-peak times will be less certain. "There's speculation that some drivers will have season tickets and will use it anyway, while others will avoid paying the toll."

The £485m M6 Toll road is the first major privately funded motorway project in the UK. As yet, operator Midland Expressway has not established the toll fee.