Spain’s Transport Minister handed in his resignation on Tuesday (November 3, 2026) following a train crash that killed 69 people , one of the worst railway disasters in Europe this century and a blow for Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez ahead of a snap poll this month.
Among the measures announced at the earlier press conference by Mr. Puente was the creation of software for control centres that would issue automatic alerts and make it easier to spot anomalies in traffic. Mr.
Puente said an AI agent would be created to oversee the system and “minimise the possibility of human error”, describing the proposal as unprecedented.
Mr. Puente told members of Parliament, referring to the latest tragedy and a January crash in Andalusia that claimed 46 lives. Puente said he was withdrawing as a candidate in the November 29 snap polls. Earlier reporting noted: Spain’s transport minister resigns six days after deadly high-speed train crash kills 69 Madrid, Nov 4 (AP) : Spain’s transport minister announced Tuesday that he is stepping down, six days after a high-speed train collision south of Madrid killed 69 people.
Oscar Puente, who had earlier pledged to work “tirelessly” to restore confidence in the world’s second-largest high-speed rail network, also said he was withdrawing from the November 29 general election. “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,” Mr. “I made my decision about my future in the first few minutes after the tragedy, as soon as I learned about it,” he said. Hours earlier, at a press conference where he presented measures to improve safety, the minister said the government would “work tirelessly to achieve and regain the public’s trust in high-speed rail”. Earlier reporting noted: “A transport minister in a country like Spain cannot continue in his post after two accidents in less than a year,” Puente told lawmakers. “It’s a question of political dignity, coherence and empathy with the victims.”
Earlier reporting noted: Transport Minister Óscar Puente made the announcement at the end of an hours-long appearance before lawmakers about the crash – the second such deadly collision this year involving Spain’s extensive high-speed rail network.
