"It's expected to take four to five years to design the future high-speed line. Funds are to be allocated at the end of that time period, so it's possible a future government could modify or cancel the project."
I'm hoping this comes to pass, but I have a small shred of doubt
This happens in Australia a lot. Grand schemes for bullet trains along the east coast appear in the run-up to federal elections, only to sink back into the swamp of realistic expectations as soon as the government has been sworn in. This has been going on since the 1980s, and probably will still be happening as long as the continent is habitable.
Just incase it changes anything. The process that lead up to this info being released started back in 2021. So while it may be true that the news is coming out near a possible election, this has been in the works for years