EU prosecutors open second fraud probe into Spanish high-speed rail
The deadly collision has resulted in searches at Spain's rail safety agency and Court of Auditors.
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) has initiated a new investigation into potential fraud involving EU funds for safety, signaling and communications upgrades on Spain's high-speed rail network, in the wake of a fatal train crash last month. The probe focuses on Spain's Madrid-Seville high-speed railway line, where 69 people lost their lives in a collision near Urda in Toledo province on October 28.
According to former Transport Minister Óscar Puente, who has since resigned, a computer failure combined with human error led to the accident. On Friday, investigators from the EPPO conducted searches at Adif, the state rail infrastructure manager, the State Railway Safety Agency, and the Spanish Court of Auditors, with assistance from national authorities. However, the EPPO has not disclosed the specifics of their investigation or whether any misappropriation of funds has been identified.
This is not Spain's first encounter with the EPPO; a prior probe was launched in March after the Adamuz crash that claimed 46 lives, which also involved EU funds for track maintenance on the same line. As of now, there have been no updates on the progress of this earlier investigation. Spanish Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas expressed deep concern over two serious accidents in Spain within a year, describing them as "very worrying" and "definitely not something we want to see."
He noted that Spain has reached out to the EU's railway agency, ERA, for assistance in the ongoing national investigation.
Two high-ranking Spanish officials have already resigned following the Urda crash. Puente resigned on Tuesday, citing "a matter of political dignity," while Adif President Luis Pedro Marco de la Peña quit the following day, less than 24 hours later. Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo is currently managing the Transport Ministry until the November 29 election.
The accident occurred just weeks before the vote, with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's Socialists trailing in the polls and facing additional political repercussions due to the tragedy.
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