Investigators examine whether EU subsidies for rail upgrades were misappropriated

Rescue workers arrive at the scene in Urda, Toledo province, Spain, where two high-speed trains collided on Oct. 28 (local time). [EPA]
Rescue workers arrive at the scene in Urda, Toledo province, Spain, where two high-speed trains collided on Oct. 28 (local time). [EPA]

The EU has launched an investigation into Spain's rail authorities amid a deadly train collision that killed dozens, focusing on whether EU subsidies allocated for rail upgrades were misused.

The European Public Prosecutor's Office said Friday (local time) that it conducted document searches at the Madrid offices of rail infrastructure manager ADIF and the National Railway Safety Agency with the assistance of Spanish police.

The EPPO suspects that Spanish rail authorities committed irregularities in the use of EU subsidies earmarked for the renovation and modernization of the high-speed rail system linking Madrid and the southern city of Seville.

On Oct. 28, a high-speed train slammed into a stationary train near Urda, about 130 kilometers south of Madrid, killing 69 people and injuring more than 100.

This marks the second time this year the EPPO has investigated Spain's rail authorities. Following a January collision between two high-speed trains near Adamuz in the Andalusia region that killed 46 people, the office probed whether EU funds set aside for track replacement work had been improperly used.

Meanwhile, Spanish Transport Minister Oscar Puente stepped down after briefing the National Assembly on plans to strengthen railway safety in the wake of the latest accident.


hyuk@heraldcorp.com