Spain rail crash: transport minister resigns
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Le Monde and Business News
Spain’s Transport Minister Óscar Puente resigned one week after the Urda rail collision, which killed 69 people. He also declined to stand on the Socialist lists for the snap legislative elections on 29 November, citing political dignity, consistency and empathy for the victims, according to Le Monde and Business News.
Óscar Puente also declined to stand on the Socialist Party’s lists for the snap legislative elections on 29 November, he announced on Tuesday 3 November after appearing before MPs. He explained that a transport minister could not remain in office after two serious rail accidents in less than a year, referring to the Adamuz collision in Andalusia, which killed 46 people in January, according to Business News.
The Spanish government presented an extraordinary plan to strengthen the safety of the high-speed network and an assistance package for survivors and the victims’ families. Óscar Puente said he had waited before announcing his decision in order to launch the initial investigations, begin compensation payments and take urgent measures for rail safety, reports Business News.
The collision on 28 October involved a train operated by private company Iryo and a train belonging to national operator Renfe near Urda. Pedro Sánchez’s government had pledged after the Adamuz accident to invest €1.8 billion in infrastructure maintenance. Spain’s high-speed network extends for nearly 4,000 kilometres, Business News specifies.
