Spain's Transport Minister Resigns Following Double Train Tragedy
Oscar Puente announced his departure after 69 died in an October crash, the second major fatality on the Madrid to Seville line this year.
By Alexander Novak ·
Transport Minister Oscar Puente announced on Monday that he will step down from his post. The decision follows a fatal collision near Urda in central Spain on 28 October that claimed 69 lives. It marks the second deadly incident on the Madrid to Seville rail line within the past year.
Puente stated that he made the choice in the first minutes after the October crash. He explained that he remained in office temporarily to manage the immediate aftermath and implement safety measures. He has not yet provided a specific date for when his resignation will take effect.
In a direct address, Puente argued that a minister in a country like Spain cannot serve through two severe accidents in such a short timeframe. "A transport minister in a country like Spain cannot continue in office with two accidents of this severity in less than a year, however different they may be and whether or not he bears direct responsibility for them," he said. He framed the move as an act of political dignity and empathy toward the victims.
The October disaster occurred after a signalling system failure caused several trains to stop automatically. A central control center in Madrid took over operations and allowed a train operated by state-owned Renfe to move forward. At the time, another stationary train remained on the tracks ahead of it. Following the event, rail unions called for his immediate dismissal. Lawmakers also criticized him for placing blame on control center operators who broke protocol.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez reacted to the news via a post on X. "Oscar Puente has stood up, offered solutions and then stepped aside," Sanchez wrote. He described the minister as bringing honor to the country and respecting the victims.
The incident adds to a difficult year for Spanish railways. In January, 46 people died when a train derailed and struck another moving in the opposite direction on the same route. Separately, three railcars collided with a locomotive in Martorell, near Barcelona, on Tuesday afternoon, injuring a train driver.
Railway unions in Spain have scheduled a strike for 17 November to protest railway safety conditions. The action comes as the government prepares to replace the transport minister who oversaw the network during two fatal crashes.
Source: Sky News
