Spain’s Transport Minister, Óscar Puente, has announced his resignation following a high-speed train collision that killed 69 people, marking one of the country’s deadliest railway disasters in recent years.
Puente announced his decision on Tuesday, November 3, after appearing before lawmakers to address questions surrounding the October 28 crash near Urda, in the central province of Toledo.
The minister said he had decided to step down shortly after the accident but remained in office to oversee its aftermath and introduce measures aimed at preventing similar tragedies.
“A transport minister in a country like Spain cannot continue in office with two accidents of this severity in less than a year,” Puente said.
He described his resignation as a matter of “political dignity, consistency and empathy with the victims.”
The collision involved a train operated by state-owned Renfe and another belonging to private railway company Iryo. Investigators are examining how the Renfe service was authorised to continue travelling despite a stationary train ahead.
According to preliminary findings, a communications failure affecting the railway’s automatic safety system triggered an emergency stoppage.
However, the control centre subsequently authorised the Renfe train to resume its journey, despite the presence of the stationary Iryo service.
The crash left dozens of passengers dead and approximately 200 injured, prompting widespread grief and renewed scrutiny of Spain’s railway safety arrangements.
Puente also announced that he would withdraw from the country’s upcoming general election, scheduled for November 29.
His resignation follows growing criticism from opposition politicians and railway workers’ unions, who have questioned the government’s handling of the disaster and raised concerns about railway maintenance and working conditions.
The accident was the second major railway disaster in Spain this year. In January, another collision on the Madrid-Seville line killed 46 people, intensifying public concerns about the safety of the country’s high-speed rail network.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has pledged a thorough investigation into the latest crash and promised to address any shortcomings identified by investigators.
Puente’s departure comes as Spain faces mounting pressure to restore confidence in its railway system, which is among the largest high-speed networks in the world.
The government has announced additional safety measures, including improved monitoring systems and procedures requiring additional confirmation when railway control centres make decisions during safety-system failures.
Authorities have also pledged financial assistance to victims’ families and survivors of the disaster.
The investigation into the collision remains ongoing, with officials working to establish the precise sequence of failures and decisions that led to the tragedy.
