Two fatal crashes in a year: why Spain's rail minister stepped down

Spain's transport minister, Óscar Puente, resigned on Tuesday, six days after a high-speed train collision near Urda, south of Madrid, killed 69 people and injured more than 200. He announced the decision at the end of a lengthy congressional hearing and also withdrew his name from the general election scheduled for 29 November.

Puente said a transport minister cannot remain in office after two accidents of such severity in less than a year. He had earlier pledged to work "tirelessly" to restore confidence in Spain's high-speed rail network, the world's second-largest.

The 28 October crash occurred when a high-speed train slammed into a stationary train on the Madrid-Seville line. The chain of events began when the communication system essential to the line's security system went down, halting traffic. Central controllers then gave a Renfe train the go-ahead despite a stationary Iryo train ahead on the tracks.

It was the second fatal crash on the same line in 2026. In January, more than two hours further south, a train derailed and struck another travelling in the opposite direction, killing 46 people.

Of the 69 dead from last week's collision, 54 were Spanish nationals, four were American and one was Canadian. Three bodies remained unidentified as of late Sunday, with 66 of the dead identified. Two California college students studying abroad were among the injured.

The resignation turns a rail-safety disaster into a political accountability moment ahead of the 29 November vote, where Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's Socialists are trailing in polls.

Puente did not claim direct responsibility for the crash, saying accountability applied regardless of whether officials bore direct responsibility. Whether his departure and election withdrawal will affect the Socialists' standing in the vote remains to be seen.