Spanish Transport Minister resigns after tragedy that claimed 69 lives
Spanish Minister of Transport Óscar Puente announced his resignation following a train crash near Toledo that claimed the lives of 69 people. He also stated that he will not participate in the early parliamentary elections.
Spanish Transport Minister Resigns After Tragedy Claiming 69 Lives
His resignation was announced nearly a week after the tragedy.
"After two disasters of this scale in less than a year, it is impossible for the minister to remain in his post," Puente said. He explained his decision to resign as a matter of political honor and responsibility.
According to the dpa agency, the minister's resignation had been demanded by all opposition parties. However, the decision came as a surprise because Puente and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez had previously repeatedly dismissed the possibility of the minister leaving his post.
A few hours before Puente's statement, the Spanish government approved measures to improve railway traffic safety. Additionally, an assistance package worth 30 million euros was approved for the victims and families of the deceased.
The railway disaster occurred on October 28 at 08:53 near the settlement of Urda in the province of Toledo, on the Madrid - Seville high-speed railway line. The AVE 2080 passenger train collided with the last carriage of the Iryo 6076 train, which was stopped on the tracks. As a result, 69 people died and more than 50 people were injured.
Since the beginning of 2026, seven railway accidents involving passenger casualties have been recorded in Spain. Another one of them occurred on January 18 on the Madrid - Malaga high-speed line, near the settlement of Adamuz. In that disaster involving two trains, 46 people lost their lives, and another 150 people sustained injuries of varying severity.
Damaged railway tracks are being considered as one of the probable causes of the disaster in Adamuz. Meanwhile, the investigation into the incident in Urda is examining a failure of the automatic train protection system and possible errors in the instructions from the control center.