A top business leader in Barnsley has questioned how much people will benefit from the HS2 project after a think tank warned the high speed rail link could end up costing more than £80 billion.
The new figure was revealed by The Institute for Economic Affairs and is almost double the original estimated cost of £42.6billion.
The think tank expects the cost to inflate due to lobbying by local councils for extra infrastructure and design changes.
The controversial high-speed rail route will pass through parts of Barnsley and business leader Owen Gleadall, the president of the Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber of Commerce, is concerned the benefits to Barnsley and the north will be very little.
He hasn't seen the latest figures of return for the project but said at that level of investment (£80 billion) the return is going to be 'pretty small'.
"Is there going to be a gain, and is it worth £80 billion? "I wonder in fact if that money could be better spent in other areas, perhaps in a slightly more joined up transport infrastructure, linking us up to the Pennines and to Manchester?"
The IEA has said HS2 needs to be scrapped and the money spent on other transport schemes.
However, the company behind HS2 believes the scheme would create an 'economic asset' and provide 'significant value'.
But opponents say the scheme will cause an unacceptable level of environmental damage, loss of homes and disruption to many communities.
The IEA says the cost of new trains would be £7.5billion and changes to the route 'to keep voters on side' were likely to add another £30billion for things such as new road links, tram lines and road upgrades to cope with more pressure on infrastructure along the route; extra tunnels and other design changes; and regeneration around new stations as well as in towns bypassed by the line.
The report says the money would be better spent on more 'commercially viable' road, rail and transport projects 'not requiring support from the taxpayer'.
A Department for Transport spokesman said HS2 is 'absolutely vital' for the country.
He said: "Without it, the key rail routes connecting London, the Midlands and the North will be overwhelmed.
"HS2 will provide the capacity needed in a way that will generate hundreds of thousands of jobs and billions of pounds worth of economic benefits." He said the government is committed to managing the cost within the budget set for the project
