Key facts
- Puente said his resignation was a matter of political dignity and the right call for a modern country.
- Puente had held the transport post since 2023 and was a close ally of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
- The October 28 collision near Urda involved a state-operated Renfe high-speed train and a stationary Iryo train.
- The standing committee is acting for Parliament while it is dissolved ahead of the November 29 snap election.
- Sánchez had publicly backed Puente after the Toledo crash raised questions about rail infrastructure management.
Spain's transport minister Oscar Puente resigned on the night of November 3, 2026, after an hours-long grilling by Parliament's standing committee, which is acting on behalf of the Parliament while it is dissolved ahead of the November 29 snap election, Politico reported.
"My decision is a matter of political dignity," Puente said, adding that it was the right call for "a modern country, not a failed state as some claim." He had said in Congress earlier on November 3 that he would resign after two deadly train crashes in less than a year, without specifying when.
Puente had been cornered by allies and foes alike, who called for him to step down after the October 28 train crash near Urda, in which 69 people died, according to Puente. It was the second deadly rail disaster in Spain in 2026 after January's accident in Adamuz, which killed 46 people, he said. Puente had held the post since 2023.
After a cabinet meeting on the morning of November 3, Puente brushed off calls for his resignation from some of the government's allies, including members of Sumar, the coalition's junior partner. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez had publicly backed Puente after the Toledo crash raised questions about how Spain manages its rail infrastructure and dealt a blow to his re-election hopes.