Spain's transport minister resigns after train crash that killed at least 69

Spain's Transport Minister Óscar Puente has resigned, six days after a high-speed train collision near the town of Urda, south of Madrid, killed at least 69 people and injured dozens. He announced his decision in Congress on Tuesday evening, at the end of a lengthy session in which he had given evidence on last Wednesday's disaster, outlined new rail safety measures and been questioned by the opposition. "A transport minister in a country like Spain cannot remain in office after two accidents of this seriousness in less than a year," he said, referring to January's crash on the same line, which left 46 people dead. He added that he was not only stepping down as minister but also withdrawing his name from the lists for the early legislative elections. Last week's crash, in which a train smashed into the back of a stationary train, was one of the worst rail disasters in Europe's modern history and Spain's worst since 2013. The train that struck from behind was run by the state-owned operator Renfe and was carrying 397 passengers, while the stationary train was operated by the private company Iryo and had 147 passengers on board. A reported computer failure in the automatic signalling system had forced all trains to halt on the affected stretch. Puente's position came under immediate scrutiny after the 28 October crash. The main opposition, the conservative People's Party (PP), and the far-right Vox both called for his resignation, as did some of the government's allies. They argued that the minister should take responsibility for a high-speed rail system that many Spaniards now regard as unsafe and whose credibility even Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez admitted was "broken". The opposition also criticised Puente for appearing to blame human error for the crash, claiming he was trying to deflect attention from his own failings. His resignation appears to have taken many by surprise, given that he had said only days earlier that he intended to remain in his post. His predicament had presented him and the prime minister with a dilemma: refusing to resign might have looked insensitive in the wake of the accident, while stepping down could look like an admission that he and the government were at fault. In the end, Puente chose to go, insisting his decision had been driven by "political dignity". Sánchez praised his colleague for having "faced up to the situation, provided answers and solutions, and then stepped aside", adding: "Out of dignity. Of his own accord. Out of respect for the victims." The resignation comes at a crucial moment in the Spanish political calendar, with early general elections scheduled for 29 November. Many observers see the accident as a massive electoral setback for the Socialist-led government that will make it impossible for Sánchez to defy the polls and win. Attention has also focused on the circumstances of the collision. Leaked audio recordings published in Spanish media soon after the crash revealed conversations between train drivers and Madrid's control centre just minutes before the disaster. The three recordings appear to show that the Renfe train was given clearance to move even though the other train had stopped on the track about 25km (15 miles) ahead. In one recording, a control centre operator tells the driver of the Renfe train, which was experiencing technical difficulties, to "continue your journey and then proceed under [Lateral Signalling Block], at normal speed with normal operation". When the driver asks "At normal speed?", the controller answers "Yes". The Lateral Signalling Block is a back-up system used when the automatic signalling or data transmission system fails. In another recording, the driver of the stationary Iryo train says communication with the train-control system has been lost and that the train "is stationary in front of the entry signal at Urda". After a series of exchanges he is told to resume the journey normally, but in a later recording he contacts the control centre again to say the train will not start. "The train won't allow me to control the [security] system. That's why I am still stopped in front of the entry signal," the driver says. That recording suggests the controller had been notified that the Iryo train remained stationary as the Renfe train approached. Iryo has said its carriages were "struck from behind" by the other train. Many Spaniards will now ask whether Puente's successors can restore faith in the country's railway system.