Spain's transport minister resigns days after train crash

Updated / Tuesday, 3 Nov 2026 20:59

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Spain's Transport Minister Oscar Puente resigns days after a deadly train crash that killed 69 people.

The crash followed another accident involving the same rail companies on the same line that killed 46 people in January.

Mr Puente has not specified when he will leave his post.

"A transport minister in a country like Spain cannot continue in office with two accidents of this severity in less than a year," Mr Puente said.

He added that he has taken the decision after the crash on 28 October that killed 69 people, but continued in his job to tackle the consequences and take measures to prevent such accidents in the future.

One of Europe's deadliest rail disasters this century struck south of Madrid when a service by state operator Renfe ploughed into the back of a stationary train belonging to private Spanish company Iryo.

Spain began demanding answers after the toll from the country's second high-speed train collision this year rose to 69 people, with scores injured and distraught relatives desperately seeking news about their loved ones.

The debate about who was at fault intensified, with unions in Spain saying it was unfair to lay the blame on human error.

Last Friday, Raquel Ayllon, a union leader at state-owned infrastructure operator Adif, said controllers were having to operate under difficult working conditions.

"Human error is being criticized and questioned very quickly, while people are not really focusing on the central issue: the failure of the safety system," Ms Ayllon said on TVE.