In fact, the only person quoted speaking about the environmental impact is a local dairy farmer, who's more concerned about loss of local "nature" rather than broader environmental concerns.
I can't speak to whether this is a good project or not. The article doesn't provide enough details for that, but what is pretty clear is that the article provides no evidence that any opposition is due to environmentalists.
Also, thanks to environmentalists millions fewer people are dying each year. Or I guess you really like lead in your air, or burning rivers, or smog, or skin cancer, or asthma... And we haven't even touched on the impacts of climate change yet.
Cars will be vastly worse and take vastly longer.
Airplanes are worse.
The only possible better alternative is a slower train.
I also imagine that like the (cancelled) HS2 in the UK, a major driver is not only faster journeys (though HS2 was a much more marginal time saving, certainly not half) but relieving capacity on the existing "stopping" line, which has 365 trains a day, 450,000 daily passengers and is the busiest high speed line in the world.
https://www.londonreconnections.com/2023/hs2-a-high-speed-be...
Are you trying to convince me that HS2 is worth my tax £s because it’ll make TPE services better ??
No more capital expenditure should be allocated to London bound rail services until the northern corridor line (Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, York, Hull) has been substantially upgraded or replaced.