Spain’s Transport Minister Óscar Puente announced his resignation in Congress on Tuesday, six days after a train collision near Urda killed 69 people. He made the announcement at the end of a hearing on the crash and said he would also withdraw his name from the lists for the Nov. 29 legislative elections.
Puente said he had decided to resign immediately after the disaster on Oct. 28 but had not made that decision public. “A transport minister in a country like Spain cannot remain in office after two accidents of this seriousness in less than a year,” he told lawmakers, referring also to a fatal rail crash in Andalusia in January.
The collision near Urda, in Toledo province, involved a state-operated Renfe high-speed train and an Iryo train that had stopped on the track. The Renfe train struck the rear of the stationary train. The crash killed 69 people and injured dozens.
Questions over train movements
During the hearing, Puente outlined new rail safety measures and faced questions from opposition lawmakers, some of whom had called for him to leave office. He described the instruction for trains to resume moving without speed restrictions as “inexplicable.”
Audio recordings published by Spanish media appear to capture communications between train drivers and a control centre shortly before the crash. In one exchange, a controller tells the Renfe driver to continue at normal speed after a signalling problem. The Iryo driver is also heard reporting that the train remains stopped and cannot be controlled through its security system.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has said authorities will investigate the circumstances of the disaster. Puente’s announcement came at the conclusion of his congressional appearance; RTVE reported on the resignation announcement.
Nicole French