European Prosecutors Probe Spanish Rail Authorities After Fatal High-Speed Crash

European Union prosecutors have launched an investigation into potential fraud involving EU funds allocated to Spain's high-speed rail network following a collision near Urda that killed 69 people. The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) confirmed on Friday that investigators, supported by a specialized unit of Spain’s Guardia Civil, carried out actions at the headquarters of rail infrastructure manager Adif and the State Agency for Railway Safety (AESF).

The inquiry centres on whether funds allocated for upgrading safety, signalling, and communications systems on the line connecting Madrid and Seville were mismanaged or misappropriated. The EPPO stated that it initiated investigative measures due to high public interest regarding the use of European subsidies for the infrastructure project. Under Spanish law, a judge assigned to the case must oversee the proceedings to ensure legal safeguards, including authorising potential search warrants or surveillance measures.

The probe follows the 28 October accident outside Urda, approximately 130 kilometres south of Madrid, where a state-owned Renfe passenger train crashed into a stationary train operated by private carrier Iryo. Technical reports indicate that the LZB communications system monitoring train positions had failed prior to the impact. The Renfe train was authorised to proceed at normal speed despite the stationary vehicle remaining on the track ahead.

The disaster marks the second fatal incident on the Madrid-Seville route within nine months, bringing the total death toll across both accidents to 115. In January, a collision near Adamuz resulted in 46 fatalities. The consecutive fatal accidents have disrupted passenger travel across the network, marked by widespread cancellations and reduced occupancy at major stations.

The series of accidents has intensified political pressure on the Spanish government ahead of the general election scheduled for 29 November. Transport Minister Óscar Puente resigned earlier in the week following criticism over safety management on the network. Opposition figures from the conservative People’s Party and Vox have called for Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to step down, while recent opinion polls indicate the ruling Socialist party is trailing the opposition.

Newly appointed Transport Minister Carlos Cuerpo stated that the government would take measures to rebuild public confidence in the high-speed rail system. Cuerpo met on Friday with survivors of the January crash in Adamuz, who presented a list of 11 specific safety demands for network upgrades. A funeral for the 69 victims of the Urda crash is scheduled to take place on Tuesday at Toledo cathedral.

Written by Thorben Thiede thorben.thiede@alpineweekly.com