CAMPAIGNERS have today failed in their High Court challenges against HS2 - prompting Transport Minister Simon Burns to urge them to stop opposing the controversial project.

Legal challenges brought by campaign groups claimed the government had failed to properly review the environmental impact caused by the planned route of HS2 and alternatives.

But today's judgement has found in favour of the government after all three separate legal challenges were dismissed at the Court of Appeal.

Speaking after the judgement Mr Burns, the High Speed Rail Minister, said: "I urge opponents not to waste any more taxpayers' money on expensive litigation and instead work with us on making HS2 the very best it can be."

He added: "By dismissing all grounds of appeal and declining to refer the case to Europe, this is the second time in four months a court has rejected attempts to derail HS2.

"Parliament is the right place to debate the merits of HS2, not the law courts and we will introduce the hybrid bill for Phase One before the year is out.

"We continue to move forward with the crucial business of getting the scheme ready for construction in 2017 and delivering enormous benefits for the country."

The appeal judgements mean the court agreed it was lawful for the government to choose to rule out upgrading the existing network as a credible alternative to HS2, and the approach to the consultation on the principle of the scheme, and on environmental and equalities assessments, had all been carried out fairly and lawfully.

The Department for Transport also said the government would seek to reclaim legal costs at having to fight the appeals, which were brought by the Amersham-based HS2 Action Alliance and the 51m group, made up of local authority areas affected by the route of the line between London and Birmingham.