IOW: we will not be removing the option to travel into the regions, nor from running TOs.
This is correct.
So far as I am aware, there are no plans to prevent players from attempting to move through the western lands. Nor even from attempting to recolonize the lands.
But this is somewhat misleading.
Parts of it are still TBD, but suffice it to say, there won't be any easy way to get into the interior of the continent in one piece.