EU prosecutors open second fraud probe into Madrid-Sevilla AVE after Urda crash

A second probe after the Urda crash

The European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) has opened a second investigation into suspected fraud involving EU money for the Madrid-Sevilla high-speed line, according to sources close to the inquiry. The funds were earmarked for renewing and upgrading safety systems, signalling and communications on the route. The same line was the scene of a train crash on 28 October 2026 near Urda in Toledo province, which left 69 people dead. The EPPO started the case on its own initiative and is working with the Central Operational Unit (UCO) of the Guardia Civil.

Document requests at state bodies

UCO officers have gone to the offices of ADIF, the state rail infrastructure manager, to the AESF, the state rail safety agency, and to the Court of Audits (Tribunal de Cuentas), where they are asking for documentation. The aim is to locate the contracts covering the renewal, safety, signalling and communications work on the line. Reports published on 6 November describe the officers as still collecting papers at those sites. The reports do not name any suspects.

An earlier investigation on the same line

LaSexta reports that the EPPO had already opened another investigation into the same high-speed line in March 2026. La Vanguardia instead ties a similar probe to the Adamuz railway accident in January. The two accounts of the earlier case do not match, and neither report explains the connection.

Who is investigating

The EPPO describes itself as the independent prosecutor of the European Union, responsible for investigating, prosecuting and bringing to trial offences that harm the EU's financial interests, according to LaSexta. The office confirmed the new case, which it said followed strong public interest in the crash. El Mundo describes the action as a new anti-corruption operation linked to the Urda tragedy. The EPPO has said it will release no further details at this stage of the investigation.

Open questions

The reports do not say whether charges have been filed or whether any individual is formally under investigation. They also give no figure for the sums suspected of being misused. The contracts being sought are described only as covering safety, signalling and communications upgrades on the Madrid-Sevilla line.