The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (Fiscalía Europea/EPPO) opened an investigation on 6 November 2026 into possible irregularities involving EU funds for work on the line Madrid–Seville According to the EPPO, its Madrid office is carrying out investigative measures at the premises of Administrador de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias (Adif), the Agencia Estatal de Seguridad Ferroviaria and the Tribunal de Cuentas It is being supported by the Unidad Central Operativa of the Guardia Civil. The measures concern payments intended for the renewal and modernisation of safety, signalling and communications systems.
The investigation stems from a recent ex officio case opened by the EPPO. The authority has released no information about suspects, companies involved or specific amounts. Spanish media report that contracts and procurement records have been requested in particular. According to the EPPO, these details have not been confirmed further. The investigation relates to the line where a fatal train accident occurred on 28 October 2026 near Urda in the province of Toledo. Criminal and administrative proceedings into the technical causes and possible responsibility for the accident are also under way in Spain.
According to the EPPO, this is a second, separate investigation into EU co-funded measures on the same route. A preliminary investigation had already been opened in March 2026 in connection with an accident at Adamuz The payments now under review concern European Union infrastructure modernisation programmes. From investigators’ perspective, if suspicions of fraud are substantiated, the matter could lead to recovery of funds by grant authorities, administrative penalties and criminal proceedings. The EPPO has not assessed the likelihood of success.
Adif is the state infrastructure provider responsible for planning, developing and maintaining the rail network; the Agencia Estatal de Seguridad Ferroviaria oversees railway safety; and the Tribunal de Cuentas audits the proper and efficient use of public funds. The Unidad Central Operativa of the Guardia Civil specialises in complex financial and corruption offences and regularly assists judicial authorities with securing evidence.
The EPPO stresses that no further details will be released for the time being. In particular, the authority is not currently providing specific information on the scale or precise use of the EU funding involved, such as funding from NextGenerationEU or the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER). Attributions of amounts or individual contractors therefore remain preliminary media reports and are identified as such.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).