HS2 has incurred "significant cost" because public bodies have launched nine legal challenges against it, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said.
She noted that, in "almost all cases", the courts had found in favour of the high-speed rail scheme between London and Birmingham which is currently under construction.
In addition, land which had previously been safeguarded for the Birmingham to Yorkshire leg will now be released, effectively ending any hopes of reviving the cancelled project.
HS2 was given the power to construct the railway when the High Speed Rail (London - West Midlands) Act received royal assent in 2017.
The original plan was to run high-speed services between London and Birmingham as phase one and then a second phase would have served Birmingham, the East Midlands and Yorkshire and separately Birmingham, Crewe, Manchester Airport and Manchester city centre.
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Only phase one remains and the cost of this is up to £66 billion, according to an estimate published last year.
The most recent of the nine legal challenges since 2017 was launched by North Warwickshire Borough Council in relation to the extension of the Bromford Tunnel. In May, the High Court rejected the council's bid for a judicial review.
Since royal assent was obtained, there have also been 25 appeals relating to the HS2 planning regime.
In a six monthly written update to Parliament on HS2, Ms Alexander acknowledged it was "right there are checks and balances embedded in our legal and planning systems", but expressed concern these were being used to "frustrate the delivery of consented projects".
She wrote: "The delivery of HS2 has continued during this period to be the subject of both legal and planning challenges which have added significant cost, uncertainty and potential for delay.
"The Government continues to monitor this issue closely and will consider further interventions where appropriate, alongside its wider work on planning reform."
Ms Alexander also announced she had lifted safeguarding on the majority of land protected for phase 2b of HS2 between Birmingham, the East Midlands and Yorkshire.
The section between the East Midlands, Sheffield and Leeds was scrapped in 2021 before the remainder of the eastern leg, between Birmingham and the
Safeguarding is used to stop land from being developed in a way that would conflict with future schemes.
More than 550 properties were acquired by HS2 ahead of the planned construction of the eastern leg but removing this safeguarding means they can now be sold.
Former owners of properties within the safeguarding zone will be given the opportunity to buy them back at the current market value.
Ms Alexander's statement added: "Safeguarding along the former phase 2b western leg between Crewe and Manchester is not being changed as part of this and an update on future plans…will be provided.
"I have also closed the Rural Support Zone, Express Purchase, Rent Back and the Need to Sell property schemes along the former eastern leg. Existing applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis."
Ms Alexander announced last month there was "no route" to meet the target date of having HS2 services running by 2033.
In her update to Parliament, the Secretary of State said her department was working with HS2 chief executive Mark Wild to "reset" the project, with the aim of providing an "updated delivery baseline and funding envelope in 2026".
She added: "Until this work is completed, this Government is not in a position to say with confidence how much HS2 will cost or when it will be delivered."
