The Spanish Minister of Transport, Oscar Puente, announced his resignation today, Tuesday, following a train collision near the town of Ordu in the Toledo region, which resulted in the deaths of 69 people, marking the second deadly railway disaster the country has experienced in 2026.
Puente stated during a session before the Spanish Parliament that "the Minister of Transport in a country like Spain cannot continue in his position after two such serious incidents in less than a year," explaining that his decision is part of taking political responsibility and showing solidarity with the victims, whether or not he has direct responsibility for the incident.
He added that he made the decision to resign after the accident occurred but preferred to continue his duties temporarily to oversee urgent measures, preliminary investigations, and to enhance safety measures.
Spain had witnessed another incident last January in the Adamuz area in the south of the country, which resulted in the deaths of 46 people, bringing the total toll from the two incidents to 115 dead.
The disasters have reignited the debate over the safety of the Spanish railway network, particularly regarding signal and control systems and maintenance work, amid calls for accountability from the responsible parties and to strengthen passenger protection measures.
The resignation comes ahead of the legislative elections scheduled for November 29, and Puente also announced his withdrawal from the election candidate lists.