Spain’s Transport Minister Óscar Puente resigns following two deadly train crashes in less than a year, including a catastrophic collision that killed 69 people. The disaster has sparked public outrage and raised serious railway safety concerns
Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente officially resigned on Tuesday after days of intense pressure for him to step down after two major train crashes in one year. The crash that triggered the resignation took place on the morning of October 28, 2026, outside the village of Urda, approximately 130km south of the capital, Madrid. The crash involved a state-operated Renfe high-speed train that violently crashed into the rear of another stationary train operated by the private company Iryo. The crash occurred due to a communication failure that disabled the automatic safety system.
Despite a red signal prohibiting movement, central controllers in Madrid authorised the Renfe train to proceed, a move which Puente said was made under "inexplicable circumstances". The crash killed 69 people, making it one of the deadliest railway disasters in Europe this century.
This was the second fatal accident on the critical Madrid-Seville route in less than a year. In January, another high-speed train collision near Adamuz had killed 46 people.
Puente stated that he had actually decided to resign immediately after the October crash but kept his decision private before addressing parliament. He framed his resignation as a necessity for "political dignity, consistency" and "empathy for the victims. The dual crashes ignited public anger, leading to protests in which demonstrators clashed with police outside the transport ministry and demanded Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's resignation.
The train driver's union Semaf also announced strikes on November 10 and 12 to protest worsening working conditions and the use of "degraded systems". To address growing safety concerns, Puente announced plans to accelerate the rollout of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS). The government also announced a €30 million support package to assist those affected by the crash financially.
The disaster comes just weeks ahead of Spain's November 29 general election, which Prime Minister Sánchez had already called early following corruption scandals and local election setbacks.
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