Spain’s Transport Minister Resigns Following Deadly Train Crashes That Killed 69 People

Spain’s Transport Minister Óscar Puente, has announced his resignation following two deadly train crashes within less than a year, including a recent high speed collision that claimed 69 lives and renewed concerns about the safety of the country’s railway network.

Puente made the announcement on Tuesday, November 3, during an appearance before lawmakers, six days after two high speed trains collided near Urda, in the central Spanish province of Toledo.

The October 28 accident involved a high-speed train operated by state owned railway company Renfe, which crashed into a stationary train belonging to private operator Iryo on the Madrid-Seville route. Investigators are examining how a failure in the railway signalling and safety system led to the collision, after which a control centre authorised the Renfe train to continue despite the presence of the stationary train ahead.

The impact, which occurred at an estimated speed of between 160 and 200 kilometres per hour, killed 69 people and injured dozens of others. Speaking to lawmakers, Puente said he had decided to resign within minutes of learning about the latest disaster but remained in office to coordinate the emergency response, support the investigation and introduce immediate safety measures.

He explained that a transport minister could not remain in office after two accidents of such severity within a year, describing his decision as a matter of political responsibility, consistency and empathy for the victims.

Puente also announced that he would withdraw from the list of candidates for Spain’s early general election scheduled for November 29. The latest crash was the second major railway disaster in Spain this year. In January, another accident on the Madrid-Seville line, near Adamuz in the southern region of Andalusia, killed 46 people after a train derailed and struck another approaching from the opposite direction.

The two tragedies have intensified scrutiny of Spain’s high speed rail network, which is the second-largest in the world after China. Opposition politicians and railway unions have questioned whether maintenance, safety systems and working conditions have kept pace with increasing passenger numbers.

Before announcing his resignation, Puente outlined several measures intended to prevent further accidents. These include improving working conditions in railway control centres, introducing additional checks when automatic safety systems fail and accelerating the rollout of European rail signalling technology.

He also proposed introducing an artificial intelligence system to monitor communications between train drivers and controllers, identify unusual situations and help reduce the risk of human error. The government has also announced a €30 million assistance package for victims and families affected by the October crash.

Puente’s resignation comes at a politically sensitive time for Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, whose government is preparing for an early general election later this month. The opposition had repeatedly called for the minister to step down following the latest disaster.

The investigation into both accidents remains ongoing, with authorities continuing to examine the technical failures and decisions that contributed to the collisions.