In brief
On 6 November 2026 the EPPO announced a second investigation into possible fraud involving EU funding for the Madrid‑Seville high‑speed railway. The probe focuses on Spain’s railway infrastructure manager ADIF, the Spanish Railway Safety Agency (AESF) and the Court of Auditors, with support from the Spanish Civil Guard’s Central Operative Unit. The inquiry follows two serious incidents on the line, a fatal crash near Urda on 28 October and an earlier collision in Adamuz that killed 46 people in January, and comes after an initial investigation launched in March 2026.
On 6 November 2026 the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) announced that its Madrid office has opened a second investigation into possible fraud involving EU funds for the maintenance and upgrading of Spain’s Madrid‑Seville high‑speed railway line. The announcement came from an EPPO statement released by the Xinhua news agency.
The new probe will focus on Spain’s railway infrastructure manager ADIF, the Spanish Railway Safety Agency (AESF) and the Court of Auditors. Investigators are also receiving assistance from the Central Operative Unit (UCO) of the Spanish Civil Guard. The EPPO said it had initiated the investigation on its own initiative.
The investigation concerns EU money allocated to improving the line’s safety, signalling and communication systems. It follows two serious incidents on the line: a deadly train crash near Urda in the province of Toledo on 28 October and a previously investigated accident in Adamuz that killed 46 people in January.
EPPO’s first investigation into similar allegations was launched in March 2026. In that case, investigators were probing the use of EU funds for railway maintenance near Adamuz. The EPPO has said it will not disclose further details at this stage, noting that it has “exceptionally decided to confirm the opening of the investigation given the high level of public interest.”
The announcement has also been reported by other outlets, including a brief note from Universul.net and a preliminary article by Le Monde that describes the investigation as focusing on possible misuse of EU funds for renewal and modernization of the security, signalling and communications systems on the line. Those reports corroborate the EPPO’s statement but do not add new specifics about the allegations or potential amounts involved.
Thus, while the EPPO has confirmed its intent to investigate fraud in the use of EU funds on the Madrid‑Seville high‑speed line, details of the allegations, the alleged wrongdoing, or any financial figures remain unconfirmed at this time.
