Scrapped HS2 bike path 'five times better value than HS2 itself'

Campaigners argue that the business case for the project was a 'no-brainer'

A scrapped "emerald necklace" cycleway up the spine of the country alongside HS2 would have delivered a return on investment of up to five times greater than the rail project itself, an FoI request has revealed - but neither the government nor HS2 Ltd will fund it.

A 50-page report outlining the business case for the national cycleway, obtained by the Guardian, reveals health, congestion and economic benefits of between 3 and 8 per 1 spent. The return on investment of HS2 itself, meanwhile, is just 1.5-1.7 per 1, according to the National Audit Office. Campaigners say completing the cycleway should have been a "no-brainer".