Spain's Transport Minister Resigns After Deadly Train Crash Killed 69

Spain’s Transport Minister Oscar Puente has stepped down less than a week after a train disaster that ranks among the deadliest in the country’s history. He has also pulled out of the upcoming general election.

Puente said on Tuesday that he had made up his mind to step down soon after last week’s crash. However, he stayed on until the government had organised its initial response to the disaster.

The collision killed 69 people in the Castilla-La Mancha region of central Spain, making it the second major train accident in the country in less than a year.

Explaining his decision, Puente said: “A transport minister in a country like Spain cannot continue in office with two accidents of this severity in less than a year,” according to Reuters. He was also referring to a high-speed train derailment in Andalusia in January that claimed 46 lives.

The latest accident took place last Wednesday on the Madrid-Seville route. A high-speed train run by state-owned Renfe crashed into a stationary train while travelling at an estimated speed of 100 to 125 miles per hour (60 to 200 kilometres per hour).

The incident followed a signal failure, which had led authorities to order trains to stop on a section of the line. Central controllers in Madrid took charge after the failure and cleared the Renfe train to proceed. It then collided with a privately operated Iryo train.

In a post on X, Pedro Sanchez thanked Puente for his service, praising his decision to put the victims first and describing his resignation as an act of political responsibility.

The leftist government has also announced plans to double mandatory passenger insurance payouts for those affected by the crash. It will work to ensure compensation reaches victims faster and expand coverage for temporary incapacity.

Puente also announced a new railway safety measure that he described as a world first. Spain plans to deploy an AI system to identify unusual activity and monitor conversations between train drivers and control room staff, with the aim of reducing human error.

"We are ⁠not ​aware of any other railway system that uses this type of mechanism or technology. ​We will be the first to go down this path," Puente said. He added that the country would also develop a real-time digital model of its railway network.