Spain's transport chief steps down after two deadly crashes

Oscar Puente, the Spanish transport minister, will leave his post after two fatal train accidents occurred in the country within the last year. He made the announcement following the most recent disaster on October 28, which resulted in 69 deaths. Puente stated that he made the decision immediately after the crash but stayed in his role to manage the immediate aftermath and plan for future safety measures. He has not yet set a specific date for his departure.

Puente argued that a transport minister in a nation like Spain could not remain in office after two incidents of such severity, regardless of whether he held direct responsibility. He described the move as a matter of political dignity and empathy toward the victims. The latest collision took place near the town of Urda in central Spain. A signaling failure stopped several trains automatically. The central control center in Madrid then took over operations and allowed a state-owned Renfe train to move forward even though another train was stopped on the tracks ahead.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez reacted to the news on the social media platform X. He wrote that Puente had offered solutions before stepping aside of his own accord. Sanchez praised the minister for respecting the victims and bringing honor to the country. He emphasized that the action showed politicians are not all the same.

The October event was the second major disaster on the Madrid to Seville line this year. In January, 46 people died when a train derailed and hit another train traveling in the opposite direction. Since the first crash, rail unions have called for Puente to be dismissed immediately. Lawmakers have also criticized him for blaming protocol errors by control center operators for the recent accident.

In a separate incident on Tuesday afternoon, three railcars collided with a locomotive in Martorell, near Barcelona. A train driver sustained injuries in that crash. Spain's railway unions have scheduled a strike for November 17. They cite railway safety as the primary reason for the action.

The recent fatalities bring the total death count from major rail incidents on that specific line this year to 115. The ongoing disputes between operators and unions center on the reliability of signaling systems and the procedures used by central control centers during failures.