European Union prosecutors have begun investigating the possible misuse of EU funds meant for upgrading safety systems on the Madrid-Seville high-speed railway line, where a train crash killed 69 people last month, the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) said Friday.
Investigators for the EPPO carried out searches at the offices of rail infrastructure manager Adif, the State Railway Safety Agency (AESF) and the Spanish Court of Auditors, with support from national authorities. A special unit of Spain's Guardia Civil backed the inquiry. The EPPO said the measure came “after the opening of an investigation into possible fraud affecting EU funds allocated to the renovation and upgrading of safety, signalling and communications systems on the Madrid-Seville high-speed railway line.”
The crash on 28 October near the village of Urda, about 130km south of Madrid, occurred when a Renfe-operated train ploughed into the back of a stationary Iryo train. The LZB communication system that monitors train positions had failed earlier that morning. Central command told the Renfe train to resume running at normal speed despite a stop signal still active on the line, according to then-Transport Minister Óscar Puente, who said the train should never have been cleared to move.
The accident was the second deadly crash on the same high-speed line this year. In January, 46 people were killed in a collision at Adamuz. A first EU fraud probe into that incident, covering track maintenance funds, was opened in March, and there has been no public update on its progress.
"This exceptional confirmation comes following high public interest and no further details will be made public at this stage," the EPPO said.
The Urda disaster has damaged the Socialist-led government ahead of Spain's 29 November general election, with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's Socialist party trailing the conservative People's Party in most opinion polls. Puente resigned as transport minister this week, calling his decision “a matter of political dignity.” Adif President Luis Pedro Marco de la Peña quit the following day. The PP and far-right Vox have called for Sánchez's resignation.
Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo has taken over the transport portfolio until the election. He met survivors of the January crash on Friday, receiving a list of 11 safety demands. Cuerpo vowed to take all necessary measures to "restore the confidence of Spaniards in our high-speed rail."
EU Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas called two serious accidents in Spain within a year “very worrying” and “definitely not something we want to see.” He said Spain had reached out to the EU's railway agency, ERA, to assist with the national investigation.
A funeral for the 69 victims is scheduled for Tuesday at Toledo Cathedral.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The investigation raises questions about the oversight of EU infrastructure funds in Spain, with potential implications for how Brussels audits spending on major railway projects across member states.
- The second deadly crash on the same line in nine months has eroded public confidence in high-speed rail in Spain, with reports of widespread cancellations and empty platforms.
- The disaster has become a central issue in the 29 November general election, handing opposition parties a political weapon against the Socialist-led government.
Background
The Madrid-Seville high-speed line, one of Spain's flagship rail corridors, has suffered two major accidents in 2026. In January, a collision at Adamuz in Andalusia killed 46 people. In October, the Urda crash killed 69. The LZB communication system that monitors train positions failed on the morning of the Urda crash, and central command cleared a Renfe train to proceed at normal speed despite a stop signal, leading to a rear-end collision. Transport Minister Óscar Puente resigned after the disaster, and Adif's president also stepped down. The EPPO opened a first fraud probe in March after the Adamuz crash, covering track maintenance funds; the second probe focuses on safety, signalling and communications upgrades. Spain faces a general election on 29 November, with the Socialists trailing in the polls.
Key Perspectives
European Public Prosecutor's Office: Investigating possible fraud affecting EU funds allocated to safety, signalling and communications upgrades on the Madrid-Seville line, but says no further details will be made public at this stage.
EU Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas: Called two serious accidents in Spain within a year "very worrying" and "definitely not something we want to see."
Óscar Puente (former transport minister): Resigned, calling his decision "a matter of political dignity."
Carlos Cuerpo (economy minister, acting transport minister): Vowed to take all necessary measures to "restore the confidence of Spaniards in our high-speed rail."
Conservative People's Party and far-right Vox: Called for Prime Minister Sánchez's resignation.
Survivors of the January crash: Handed the new transport minister a list of 11 demands for improving rail safety.
What to Watch
- The funeral for the 69 victims at Toledo Cathedral on Tuesday, which may draw further political attention.
- Whether the EPPO releases preliminary findings or charges before the 29 November election.
- The election result: if the Socialists lose, a new government's approach to rail safety and the EU investigation.
Checked
11 claims in this story checked against 3 sources: 11 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedThe EPPO has opened a second EU fraud probe into the Spanish high-speed rail line after a crash killed 69 people.Politico Europe: “The EPPO has launched a probe on Spain’s Madrid-Seville high-speed railway line, where 69 people were killed in a collision near Urda, in Toledo province, on Oct. 28.”
- SupportedEuropean prosecutors searched Adif, the State Railway Safety Agency and the Spanish Court of Auditors over possible misuse of EU funds for rail safety upgrades.Politico Europe: “Investigators for the EPPO carried out on Friday searches at Adif, the state rail infrastructure manager, the State Railway Safety Agency and the Spanish Court of Auditors, with support from national authorities.”
- SupportedThe EPPO said the investigation concerns possible fraud involving EU funds for safety, signalling and communications upgrades on the Madrid-Seville line.RTÉ News: “This comes after the opening of an investigation into possible fraud affecting EU funds allocated to the renovation and upgrading of safety, signalling and communications systems on the Madrid-Seville high-speed railway line,”
- SupportedThe EPPO said the confirmation followed high public interest and that no further details would be made public at that stage.RTÉ News: “This exceptional confirmation comes following high public interest and no further details will be made public at this stage.”
- SupportedThe 28 October crash near Urda involved a Renfe train hitting the back of a stationary Iryo train.RTÉ News: “The crash happened on 28 October when a train operated by the state-owned Renfe ploughed into the back of a stationary train belonging to the private Spanish company Iryo outside the village of Urda”
- SupportedThe LZB system that monitors train positions had failed before the crash.BBC News: “The LZB communication system that monitors the position of trains had gone down”
- SupportedCentral command told the Renfe train to resume at normal speed despite a stop signal still being active, and Puente said it should not have been cleared to move.RTÉ News: “the central command told the Renfe train to start running again without any speed restrictions, and it ended up crashing into the stationary Iryo train at 8.53am. Spain's transport minister Oscar Puente said that the train should never have been told to start moving again since there was still a "stop signal" active on that line”
- SupportedThe first EU fraud probe, opened in March after the Adamuz crash that killed 46, concerned track-maintenance funds, and there had been no public update on its progress.Politico Europe: “A first probe , opened in March after the Adamuz crash that killed 46 people, covered EU funds for track maintenance on the same line. There has been no public update on its progress.”
- SupportedPuente resigned Tuesday and called his decision “a matter of political dignity.”Politico Europe: “Puente resigned Tuesday , calling his decision “a matter of political dignity,””
- SupportedCuerpo vowed to take all necessary measures to “restore the confidence of Spaniards in our high-speed rail.”BBC News: “Cuerpo has vowed to take all necessary measures to "restore the confidence of Spaniards in our high-speed rail".”
- SupportedTzitzikostas called the two serious accidents “very worrying” and “definitely not something we want to see,” and said Spain had contacted ERA for help with its investigation.Politico Europe: “The EU’s Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas expressed deep concern at a press briefing on Wednesday over two serious accidents in Spain within a year, calling them “very worrying” and “definitely not something we want to see.” He noted that Spain had reached out to the EU’s railway agency, ERA, to assist with the ongoing national investigation.”