Last updated 5 November 2026 at 23:30 PKT.
Spain's transport minister Óscar Puente and the head of the state rail infrastructure manager Adif have both resigned within a day of each other, six days after a high-speed train collision near the village of Urda killed 69 people — the second deadly crash on the Madrid–Seville line this year.
Puente announced his resignation in Congress on Tuesday 3 November, after hours of parliamentary questioning about the disaster. The following day, Adif president Luis Pedro Marco de la Peña also stepped down, leaving Spain's rail leadership in turmoil less than four weeks before a snap general election on 29 November.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez confirmed both departures and named First Deputy Prime Minister Carlos Cuerpo, who also holds the economy portfolio, to take temporary charge of the transport ministry.
Two resignations in two days
Puente, one of Sánchez's most prominent political allies, told lawmakers he had made his decision in the first minutes after learning of the Urda crash, but had waited to announce it until he had overseen the initial response and presented safety reforms to parliament.
"A transport minister in a country like Spain cannot remain in office after two accidents of such seriousness in less than a year, however different they may be, whether or not I bear direct responsibility."
Puente also said he was withdrawing as a candidate in the 29 November snap election. According to AFP, the crash and an earlier disaster this year have overshadowed campaigning for the ballot, in which Sánchez is trailing in opinion polls.
Marco de la Peña, who had led Adif since September 2024, submitted his resignation on Wednesday 4 November after a meeting with Cuerpo. Some Spanish media reported that he was dismissed, but the Europa Press news agency said he had already told Puente he intended to leave in the wake of the Urda accident. The circumstances of his departure have not been officially clarified.
What happened at Urda
On the morning of Wednesday 28 October, a state-run Renfe high-speed train carrying 397 passengers ran into the back of a stationary train operated by the private company Iryo, which had 147 people on board, according to the BBC. The collision happened outside Urda, in Toledo province, about 130 km south of Madrid, on the Madrid–Seville high-speed line.
Sixty-nine people were killed and scores more were injured, making it one of the worst railway disasters in Europe this century, according to AFP.
Investigators' preliminary findings point to a failure of the automatic safety system, which halted all trains on a 63-kilometre stretch of track. According to AFP, a control centre nonetheless authorised the Renfe service to resume its journey. The official investigation has not yet reached a final determination of responsibility, and Puente's resignation does not itself establish legal liability.
Context: Spain operates the world's second-largest high-speed rail network, according to AFP. The Madrid–Seville line, opened in 1992, was Spain's first high-speed route — and it is now the scene of two fatal disasters in a single year.
A second disaster in nine months
The Urda crash followed a derailment near Adamuz, in Córdoba province, in January, which killed 46 people on the same Madrid–Seville corridor. Together, the two accidents have killed 115 people in 2026.
| Date | Event | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| January 2026 | Derailment near Adamuz, Córdoba, on the Madrid–Seville line | 46 |
| 28 October 2026 | Renfe train collides with stationary Iryo train near Urda, Toledo | 69 |
| 3 November 2026 | Transport minister Óscar Puente announces his resignation in Congress | — |
| 4 November 2026 | Adif president Luis Pedro Marco de la Peña resigns; Carlos Cuerpo takes interim charge of transport | — |
Opposition parties had demanded Puente's resignation, and unions criticised him for appearing to pin the blame for the disaster on a single control-centre operator. Critics also say investment in maintenance has not kept up with the increase in passenger numbers since the liberalisation of Spain's rail network in 2021, which allowed private companies to break Renfe's decades-long monopoly, according to AFP.
Safety measures and strikes
Before resigning, Puente announced a package of safety measures and €30 million (US$33.5 million) in aid for the families of the dead and the injured. The measures include software for control centres that would issue automatic alerts and make it easier to spot anomalies in traffic, an AI system to oversee operations and reduce the possibility of human error, and a rule requiring a second operator to confirm any decision taken while the automatic safety system is down. He also said working conditions for control-centre operators would be reformed, including their breaks and monitoring of fatigue levels.
The government has also approved enhanced supervision of train operations and a temporary reduction in frequencies on the Madrid–Seville line while the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) is implemented, according to rail industry reports.
The train drivers' union Semaf, which has called strikes at Renfe for 10 and 12 November, has denounced a worsening of working conditions and the use of what it calls "degraded systems", according to AFP.
What is not yet known: the official investigation into the Urda crash has not yet determined who or what was responsible, and it is not officially settled whether the Adif president resigned or was dismissed. The precise sequence of decisions in the control centre on 28 October remains under investigation.
Frequently asked questions
Who has resigned?
Transport minister Óscar Puente, who announced his resignation on 3 November, and Adif president Luis Pedro Marco de la Peña, who stepped down on 4 November. First Deputy Prime Minister Carlos Cuerpo has taken interim charge of the transport ministry.
What caused the Urda crash?
Preliminary findings point to a failure of the automatic safety system that halted trains on a 63-km stretch, after which a control centre authorised the Renfe train to resume its journey. The official investigation is ongoing and has not yet assigned responsibility.
Was this the first such crash this year?
No. A derailment near Adamuz in January killed 46 people on the same Madrid–Seville line. The two disasters together have killed 115 people in 2026.
What happens next politically?
Spain holds a snap general election on 29 November. Puente has withdrawn as a candidate, and Sánchez's government faces the vote with its rail-safety record under intense scrutiny.
Are trains running on the Madrid–Seville line?
Services have resumed with enhanced supervision and temporarily reduced frequencies while the ERTMS safety system is implemented, according to rail industry reports. The drivers' union has called strikes for 10 and 12 November.
Key takeaways
- Spain's transport minister Óscar Puente resigned on 3 November, six days after the Urda high-speed crash killed 69 people.
- Adif president Luis Pedro Marco de la Peña stepped down the next day; whether he resigned or was dismissed has not been officially clarified.
- The Urda crash was the second fatal accident on the Madrid–Seville line in 2026, after 46 people died in a derailment near Adamuz in January.
- Preliminary findings point to an automatic safety-system failure, but the official investigation has not yet assigned responsibility.
- First Deputy Prime Minister Carlos Cuerpo has taken interim charge of transport ahead of the 29 November snap election.
What to watch next
The official investigation's findings will be the next major development, along with any further resignations or disciplinary action inside Adif and Renfe. The Semaf strikes planned for 10 and 12 November will test whether the government's safety measures have restored confidence among rail workers. And with the snap election on 29 November, rail safety is now a central campaign issue — one that could shape the outcome for a prime minister already trailing in the polls.
