Watling Street Truck Stop Redevelopment

We’re excited to announce that from February 23^rd 2026 Certas will take over management of the Watling Street truck stop in St Albans, making it the first stage of our major Truckstop network expansion.

Management of the new site represents the doubling of Certas Energy’s Truckstop network. Backed by a £350,000 redevelopment plan – making high-quality products and facilities even more accessible for our customers.

The countdown is on until we re-open on the 24^th February, so let’s get into what will be available at the new site – and what it means for our network.

The Watling Site

Located on the Strategic Road Network (SRN), Watling Street truck stop is a hub of freight activity, serving over 400 HGVs travelling on the M1 and M25. These routes carry more than one billion tonnes of freight each year, exceeding all other roads and transport modes combined. With our redevelopment, all the drivers on this route will have access to premium products, upgraded facilities and improved security.

As we expand the truck stop, we’re also going to expand the Watling Street team – creating 13 new jobs and giving you even more support at this popular truck stop.

The Site Facilities

With the amount of visits Watling Street gets, we knew we need to upgrade the offering. The Certas Energy redevelopment includes a full rebrand, upgraded amenities and security, a refurbished kitchen, improved parking, and new card readers for the site’s four existing fuel tanks that will accept FuelTapp.

FuelTapp is our digital fuel card that allows you to pay for fuel at Certas Energy bunker sites using an app-generated PIN – eliminating the need for physical cards or cash. You can find out more about our digital fuel cards here.

Plus, we’ve got even more redevelopment plans in the future. We’ll introduce Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) pumps as a lower-carbon alternative to conventional diesel, as well as installing e-HGV charging, solar power, and Spotless Water facilities.

Investing In Our Network

Watling Street is part of our wider truck stops plans, with the long-term aim of adding 10 truck stops to our nationwide network in the next five years. This felt like a natural next step for Certas Energy Fuel Cards following the acquisition of the UK’s oldest and most-loved truck stop, TheStop at The Hollies. This site has set the benchmark for facilities, safety and security measures at British truck stops.

Mike Heaton, Head of Estate Development at Certas Energy Fuel Cards, said: “Our drivers help keep the country moving and we recognise the need for better services that allow them to rest and recover. Thanks to a full refurbishment, The Stop at TheHollies is now a Grade A facility, and we plan to bring Watling Street up to the same high standard, offering a better experience to existing and new customers.”