European Prosecutors Open Fraud Investigation Into Spanish High-Speed Railway Line Funding

The European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) initiated an investigation on Friday into possible fraud involving European Union funds allocated to Spain's Madrid-Seville high-speed railway corridor.

Investigators backed by the Central Operational Unit of Spain's Guardia Civil carried out measures at the offices of rail infrastructure administrator ADIF, the State Railway Safety Agency (AESF), and Spain's Court of Auditors. The inquiry focuses on EU funding earmarked for upgrading safety, signaling, and communications systems along the line. In that incident, a train operated by state-owned company Renfe rear-ended a stationary train belonging to private operator Iryo.

The LZB positioning and communications system had malfunctioned prior to the crash, leading rail controllers to clear the Renfe train to travel at normal speed while the disabled Iryo train remained on the tracks. Friday's announcement marks the second EU fraud inquiry launched into the Madrid-Seville corridor this year. In March 2026, prosecutors began probing the suspected misuse of rail maintenance funds following a January crash near Adamuz in Cordoba Province that killed 46 people.

Together, the two railway collisions have claimed 115 lives. The EPPO stated that while public interest in the investigation is substantial, it will disclose no further specifics regarding contracts or targeted individuals.