EU public prosecutor's office investigates train accident in Spain

Nine days after the serious train accident on the high-speed line between Madrid and Seville, the European Public Prosecutor's Office is investigating possible fraud with EU funding. On behalf of the authority, Spanish investigators examined documents from the state rail network operator Adif, the Railway Safety Agency and the Court of Auditors.

The focus is on EU funds that were earmarked for modernizing safety, signaling and communications systems on Spain's busiest high-speed line. Investigators are checking whether there were any irregularities in their use.

69 dead in train accident in October

At the end of October, two trains collided near Urda, south of Madrid. 69 people were killed. According to previous findings, the automatic train protection system had failed. In addition, incorrect instructions from the control center could have contributed to the accident.

In January, 46 people died in a collision between two high-speed trains on the same route near Adamuz in Andalusia. A broken rail is considered the likely cause. Even after this accident, the EU public prosecutor's office initiated investigations into possible subsidy fraud. At that time it was about funding for the renewal of the tracks.