Spain’s transport minister resigns after train crash killed 69

Spain’s transport minister, Óscar Puente, resigned on Tuesday, six days after two high-speed trains collided near the town of Urda in Toledo province, killing at least 69 people. Puente also said he was withdrawing his name from the Socialist Party’s lists for the snap general election on 29 November.

What did Óscar Puente say when he resigned?

Addressing Congress at the end of a long session in which he presented new rail safety measures and faced criticism from the opposition, Puente said: “A transport minister in a country like Spain cannot remain in office after two accidents of this seriousness in less than a year.” He said his decision was driven by “political dignity”, days after stating that he did not intend to step down.

The second accident he referred to was a crash at Adamuz, in Córdoba province, on the same line in January, which killed 46 people.

What happened in the Urda train collision?

The collision took place on the morning of 28 October on the Madrid-Seville line. A Renfe AVE train carrying 397 passengers ran into the back of an Iryo train with 147 passengers on board, which had stopped after a failure in the computerised signalling system. It was Spain’s worst rail disaster since the Santiago de Compostela crash in 2013.

What do the recordings of the control centre show?

Recordings of conversations between the control centre and the drivers, published by the Spanish press, show the controller authorised the AVE to continue “at normal speed” even though the Iryo train was still stationary about 25 kilometres ahead. In another recording, the Iryo driver warns the control centre that he cannot restart the train.

How does the resignation affect Spain’s 29 November election?

The People’s Party and Vox, as well as some of the government’s allies, had called for Puente’s resignation, accusing him of blaming human error for the crash to avoid responsibility for a high-speed rail system whose credibility Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez acknowledged was “broken”. Sánchez praised Puente: “He faced up to the situation, provided answers and solutions, and then stepped aside. Out of dignity. Of his own accord. Out of respect for the victims.”

The resignation comes less than four weeks before the general election. According to the BBC, many analysts see the crash as a heavy blow to the Socialists, whom polls already placed behind the People’s Party. Spain’s government has also taken other politically sensitive decisions this year, including its offer of nationality to political prisoners exiled from Nicaragua.

Frequently asked questions

How many people died in the Urda train crash?

At least 69 people were killed when a Renfe AVE train ran into the back of a stationary Iryo train near Urda, in Toledo province, on 28 October.

Why did Óscar Puente resign?

Puente said a transport minister could not stay in office after two serious accidents in less than a year, referring to the Urda collision and to a crash at Adamuz in Córdoba in January that killed 46 people.

When is Spain’s general election?

Spain’s snap general election is scheduled for 29 November, less than four weeks after Puente announced his resignation.

Was Puente standing in the election?

Puente had been included on the Socialist Party’s lists for the 29 November vote and said he was withdrawing his name from them.

With reporting from en.mercopress.com.

Stock image, not from the events described. Train Tracks — Matt Bango / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)