Spain transport minister resigns after deadly high-speed rail crash raises safety concerns

Puente announces his departure

Puente announced his resignation after appearing before lawmakers for hours to discuss the collision. He said a transport minister could not stay in office after two accidents of this severity in less than a year.

He said he had made the decision immediately after the latest crash but had kept it private. The announcement came four weeks before a national election.

How the collision unfolded

The Oct. 28 crash happened when a high-speed train struck another train that had stopped on the tracks. The events leading to the collision began when a communication system needed for railway safety on the Madrid-Seville line failed.

Controllers in Madrid then took over and authorized a state-operated Renfe train to continue, although an Iryo train was stationary ahead. The collision killed 69 people, according to the article.

A second deadly crash

The latest collision was the second major crash this year on the Madrid-Seville line. In January, a train derailed more than two hours farther south and hit a train traveling in the opposite direction, killing 46 people.

That January crash remains under investigation. Spain’s high-speed network, the world’s second-largest after China’s, had not had a deadly crash since it began operating more than three decades ago.

Safety measures announced

The two collisions have prompted renewed concern about the safety of Spain’s rail network. The article describes the system as a long-standing national achievement, but notes that the deadly incidents have changed the focus to safety.