Spain’s transport minister resigns after deadly train crash

Spain's Transport Minister Oscar Puente has announced his resignation six days after a devastating train crash that killed 69 people, taking political responsibility for two fatal rail accidents in the country in less than a year.

He also said he would withdraw his name from the ruling Socialist Party's candidate list for the snap general election scheduled for November 29.

Puente made the announcement on Tuesday, November 3, after answering lawmakers' questions during an extended session of parliament's standing committee on the accident. He said he could not continue serving as transport minister of a country like Spain after two such catastrophic accidents in less than a year. However, he did not specify when he would formally leave office.

At least 69 people were killed and more than 100 injured when two high-speed trains collided in the central Spanish town of Urda on October 28. The accident occurred when a high-speed train operated by state-owned rail company Renfe struck the rear of a stationary train belonging to private operator Iryo. An investigation into the cause of the crash is underway.

It was the second major fatal rail accident this year on Spain's Madrid-Seville railway line. In January, 46 people were killed when a train derailed and collided with another train on the same route. The two accidents in succession have raised serious concerns about the safety of Spain's high-speed rail network.

Opposition parties had been demanding Puente's resignation since the latest crash. The conservative People's Party (PP), the far-right Vox party and some of the government's allies also called for him to step down. Critics accused the government of failing to ensure railway safety and alleged that ministers were attempting to evade responsibility by placing the blame solely on control room staff.

Before announcing his resignation, Puente outlined several government plans to strengthen railway safety in parliament. These include improving working conditions for railway control centre staff, modernising safety and signalling systems, and accelerating the introduction of European-standard railway safety measures. Financial assistance has also been announced for families affected by the crash.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez praised Puente's decision following the resignation announcement. Sanchez said the minister had confronted the crisis, answered questions in parliament and taken necessary steps to address the situation. He welcomed the decision to step down as a gesture of respect for those killed and injured in the accident.

Spain is scheduled to hold a snap general election on November 29. The successive fatal rail accidents and the transport minister's resignation announcement just weeks before the vote have placed fresh pressure on the ruling Socialist government. Railway safety, infrastructure maintenance and determining the precise causes of the accidents have now become major issues in the country's political debate.