Spain’s Transport Minister, Oscar Puente, has resigned less than a week after a deadly train collision that killed 69 people, making it the second major railway disaster in the country in less than a year.

Puente also withdrew from the upcoming general election, saying he had initially decided to step down immediately after last week’s accident but remained in office to coordinate the government’s initial response.

“A transport minister in a country like Spain cannot continue in office with two accidents of this severity in less than a year,”

Puente said, referring to the latest collision and a high-speed train derailment in Andalusia in January, which claimed 46 lives.

The latest accident occurred last Wednesday when a high-speed train operated by state-owned Renfe crashed into a stationary train on the Madrid-Seville line in central Spain’s Castilla-La Mancha region.

The collision reportedly happened at an estimated speed of between 100 and 125 miles per hour, after the Renfe train slammed into a privately operated Iryo train.

Reports indicated that trains on a section of the route had been ordered to stop following a signal failure. However, central controllers in Madrid, who had assumed control after the failure, authorised the Renfe train to continue its journey, resulting in the collision.

Following the accident, services on the Madrid-Seville route have been reduced as the Railway Safety Agency reviews the line’s safety systems.

The government is also working to complete the delayed deployment of the European Rail Traffic Management System, which is designed to improve railway safety and coordination.

Additional measures under consideration include an artificial intelligence system designed to reduce human error by detecting anomalies and monitoring conversations between train drivers and railway controllers.

Puente said Spain would become the first country to introduce such a safety mechanism.

Meanwhile, victims of the latest accident and their families are expected to receive compensation under a 30-million-euro ($33.5 million) assistance package announced by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

Bereaved families will receive 72,121 euros ($80,776) in direct assistance, alongside an equal amount in advance compensation.

The latest disaster has renewed concerns about railway safety in Spain, particularly following two major train accidents within a period of less than a year.

Source: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2026/11/spains-transport-minister-resigns-after-train-crash-kill-115/