Spanish Transport Minister Resigns Following High Speed Train Disasters

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez named Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo as interim transport minister through the November 29 snap general election.

Last Wednesday, a high-speed express operated by state-owned Renfe struck the rear of a stationary train belonging to private company Iryo outside Urda, approximately 130 kilometers south of Madrid. Authorities indicated that an automatic safety system halted all trains on a 63-kilometer stretch of track, but a control centre authorized the Renfe train to proceed.

The disaster follows an earlier crash in January in Andalusia that claimed 46 lives. Opposition parties and unions criticized Puente for attempting to blame the crash on a single control centre operator. Puente stated that a transport minister cannot remain in office after two such serious accidents and announced he is withdrawing his name from the Socialist Party candidate lists in Valladolid for the upcoming election. Prime Minister Sanchez praised Puente for his political dignity as the ruling Socialist Party faces declining poll numbers ahead of the November 29 vote.