Stations near Motorway Services

[mrcheek]

Maybe this should be in Infrastructure and Stations, but its part of a trip I am planning.

Are there any railway stations that are near to motorway service stations (say half an hours walk)? Ideally a motorway service station that also has a hotel.

An odd thing I would like to tick off my bucket list

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Was going to suggest Knutsford, but on checking, it's about a mile and a half on foot between the Northbound service station (which has a Travelodge) and the railway station, so likely it's just over the 30 minutes threshold.

 

[cjw714]

Digby and Sowton station is about a 15 or 20 minute walk from Exeter services at Junction 30 of the M5.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Another possibility... Rivington services (formerly known as Bolton West, and originally Anderton) on the M61, which is about a mile and a bit on foot from Blackrod railway station, so maybe a 30 minutes walk. Believe there's a lodge on the Southbound side of the service station. Having said that, Rivington has to be one of the more basic service stations on the entire GB motorway network.

 

[cactustwirly]

Maybe Reading Green Park and Reading services?

 

[mrcheek]

Was going to suggest Knutsford, but on checking, it's about a mile and a half on foot between the Northbound service station (which has a Travelodge) and the railway station, so likely it's just over the 30 minutes threshold.

30 minutes is a guideline, Im sure a little extra wouldnt be a problem!

Maybe Reading Green Park and Reading services?

Looks like a possibility, a nice walk through the lakes as well!

Digby and Sowton station is about a 15 or 20 minute walk from Exeter services at Junction 30 of the M5.

now this could be the best one. all nicely located, and easy to get to from Somerset too

 

[WolvertonWorks]

Doesn't meet your max 30 minute walk - see below for walk - but I would have suggested Newport Pagnell services on the M1 but the on-site Ramada has recently been closed at short notice to house asylum seekers.

The walk would be from MKC station up through the city centre and down through Campbell Park to the canal. Left along the towpath to Great Linford and then follow the old Newport-Wolverton railway line mentioned below, now one of MK's redways, until you pass under the M1 bridge. Then turn left and take the path to cross Wolverton Road, turn right, then left at the Red House (now called something Smoke Shack or suchlike) and up Linford Lane to the M1 services.

That way you would have walked along part of an old, repurposed, railway line to get from railway to motorway

Now if we were living pre September 1964 you could have got a train to Wolverton on the WCML and then taken the "Nobby Newport" down the branch line to Newport Pagnell station. The walk from there to the M1 (opened late 1950s) would have been within your time limit. Or you could have got off at Great Linford, which would have been a slightly quicker walk.

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

Cornwall Services on the A30 at Victoria are motorway style, if not on an actual motorway. Roche station, on the Newquay branch, is just down the road.

 

[BazingaTribe]

Maybe Reading Green Park and Reading services?

Might be possible via Berry Lane but the station may not actually open onto the road. (We tried that way once in the car with the same assumption -- albeit coming from Grazeley to the south -- and just ended up at a dead end. That was 18 months ago, but although the map does show a potential route, I'm not 100% sure that it would work.)

 

[Magdalia]

Are there any railway stations that are near to motorway service stations (say half an hours walk)? Ideally a motorway service station that also has a hotel.

As a non driver I don't know much about Motorway Service Areas.

The nearest to here is probably Birchanger Green at M11 Junction 8.

It is probably walkable in about 30 minutes from Bishops Stortford if starting from the up side exit.

 

[xotGD]

Can you actually access motorway services on foot?

 

[Joe Paxton]

Can you actually access motorway services on foot?

Some you can, some you can't.

 

[Joe Paxton]

[...]
An odd thing I would like to tick off my bucket list

It is somewhat peculiar!

 

[greatkingrat]

Can you actually access motorway services on foot?

Most service stations have a back entrance for staff. While there are often barriers / cameras stopping unauthorized vehicles, there is no restriction on pedestrians.

 

[BazingaTribe]

It is somewhat peculiar!

No worse than some other ideas. I've ended up in stranger places. (The field full of nettles near Sizewell was definitely a mistake.)

The only thing I'd caution about the Reading walk other than the lack of exit onto the needed pathway, is that that area is the water-meadows/flood plain for the local river system and can thus get mushy with flooded roads if you don't know what you're doing. (I travelled to and from Basingstoke every day and when they were building Green Park I remarked to myself that they didn't need a station there, they needed a marina.) Go at a sensible time of year and you'll be fine, though.

Regarding service entrances and exits...was in Aldershot the other week for work and walked from the station right up to the Premier Inn. There was some walking along a main road but I very quickly found a footpath down behind Morrisons which led right up to the hotel. Granted it wasn't along a motorway, but Google Maps often shows paved footpaths as well.

 

[Bald Rick]

Good challenge!

Thurrock services on the M25 is about 20 mins from Chafford Hundred station, albeit you will have to negotiate Lakeside.

Also:

Rivington Services (M61) and Blackrod station, about 20 minutes.

Gretna servcies (A74(M)) and Gretna Green station (30 minutes)

Hamilton Service (M74) and Hamilton Station (25 minutes)

Ferrybridge (M62) and Knottingley Station (20 minutes)

Maidstone (M20) and Hollingbourne station (15 mins, mostly on country footpaths)

Folkestone (M20) and Westenhanger ststion (10 mins, no hotel)

Sarn Park (M4) and Sarn station (15 mins)


One for the future, if it ever gets built Cullompton station will be right next to Cullompton services (M5, no hotel).

 

[Jimini]

Gloucester services (southbound) looks accessible by road (off Upton Lane). Yeah, it's nearly 1h30m / 3.8 miles from Gloucester station, but it's the pick of the bunch!

 

[30907]

Cobham (M25) 2 miles

Knutsford (M6) 1.6 miles

 

[westcoaster]

Toddington services ( M1) and Harlington station

 

[BazingaTribe]

Just literally passed through Reading Green Park. I can't see any way in/out onto Berry Lane from the platform for trains running towards Reading.

 

[Lost property]

I would have thought Watford Gap would have been ideal given the location next to the WCML...you can also get some bus spotting and canal boat spotting as "added value "...if you are so inclined.

 

[mrcheek]

I would have thought Watford Gap would have been ideal given the location next to the WCML...you can also get some bus spotting and canal boat spotting as "added value "...if you are so inclined.

looks like one hell of a walk from Long Buckby though.
As the crow flies, doesnt look so bad. But the only walking route looks to be many miles!

 

[King Lazy]

A couple of others that are a little further than your suggestion but aren’t particularly far for most walkers.

Carnforth to Burton.

Euxton Balshaw Lane to Charnock Richard.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

A couple of others that are a little further than your suggestion but aren’t particularly far for most walkers.

Carnforth to Burton.

Euxton Balshaw Lane to Charnock Richard.

First one is roughly four and a half miles, so maybe ninety minutes walk.

The latter is just under 3 miles, so perhaps an hour's walk. Still more than what the OP was contemplating.

 

[D6130]

It's a great pity that Tebay station is no longer open!

Hartshead Moor (eastbound) services on the M62 are just under 3 km (1.85 miles) from Brighouse station by roads and public footpaths....so about 35 minutes walk.

 

[stuu]

Bridgwater services, if they deserve the name, are a couple of miles walk from the station. Not exactly Gloucester services though

 

[Ghostbus]

Washington Services is only 3 miles from Chester-le-Street station.

Walking it takes in Chester-le-Street town centre at the southern end. Between there and the services, the shortest walking route is entirely urban and residential. But if you take a more meandering route, you can pass under the Chester Burn Viaduct and take in a very small part of the former Stanhope and Tyne railway (now the Consett and Sunderland Railway Path).

There's a Travelodge on the northbound services on the western side of the A1(M}, which is the nearest side to walk to. This half can can be accessed on foot via Portobello Road. Accessing the southbound services without a car might be a problem, since the overbridge is permanently closed (RAAC concrete in the roof), and the site is otherwise surrounded by woods.

The Angel of the North is only a two mile walk further north from the services.

 

[mrcheek]

Thank you for all the suggestions.

I think the clear winner here is Exeter. Near to a station, and a station that has a decent service too. And a hotel on site. Plus its easy to get to from where I live

 

[Tetchytyke]

Just up the line from Exeter you have Tiverton Parkway. The station is on one side of the roundabout, the motorway service station with a Travelodge is on the other side of the roundabout. I don't know how well geared up for pedestrians the roads there are, I've only ever driven.

Picture shows a map of Tiverton Parkway and Tiverton services just off junction 27 of the M5.

 

[mrcheek]

Just up the line from Exeter you have Tiverton Parkway. The station is on one side of the roundabout, the motorway service station with a Travelodge is on the other side of the roundabout. I don't know how well geared up for pedestrians the roads there are, I've only ever driven.

Picture shows a map of Tiverton Parkway and Tiverton services just off junction 27 of the M5.

View attachment 171185

Yes, I looked into this one previously. a nice easy journey as the crow flies. But a long detour if you plan to walk it!