EU funds fraud investigation in rail safety: Prosecution opens inquiry after Toledo train accident
The European Public Prosecutor's Office is investigating how European Union funds intended to improve safety on the Madrid-Seville rail line were spent. It is the second inquiry into the same rail route in 2026.
Investigation into embezzlement of rail safety funds
The European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) opened an investigation on Friday into possible fraud in the use of European Union money intended to improve safety systems, signalling and communications on the Madrid-Seville line, according to The Olive Press.
The investigative measures are being conducted at Adif, the Spanish State Rail Safety Agency (AESF) and the Spanish Court of Auditors. The investigation is being supported by the Central Operational Unit (UCO) of the Civil Guard.
The inquiry arises following the Úrda railway disaster on 28 October, when a train derailed in Toledo province leaving 69 dead. The EPPO has publicly confirmed this investigation due to high media interest, although it has provided no further details at this time.
Second investigation in less than a year
It is not the first time in 2026 that European prosecutors have turned their attention to this line. In March they opened an investigation into possible fraud in European Union funds intended for maintenance of a section near Adamuz, in Córdoba province, where 46 people died in an accident in January.
The two disasters, separated by nine months on the same rail route, have claimed 115 lives in total. The discovery of multiple safety failures within such short periods has intensified scrutiny of infrastructure management and financing.
Political pressure ahead of elections
The investigation increases pressure on the Pedro Sánchez government ahead of general elections on 29 November, with the PSOE trailing the PP in most polls. The Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, resigned this week; the PP and Vox maintain that the resignation is insufficient and are calling for the resignation of the government president as well.
Carlos Cuerpo, Puente's successor, promised to do "everything necessary to restore the confidence of Spanish people in our high-speed rail network". On Friday he met with survivors of the Adamuz accident, who handed him a list of 11 demands for improvements to safety on Spanish rail networks.
A funeral for the victims of the Úrda accident will be held on Tuesday in Toledo Cathedral. According to published data, six in ten Spanish people have lost confidence in the high-speed rail network following the disaster.
Source: The Olive Press