2 minWorld
Spain's transport minister Óscar Puente resigns after deadly high-speed train crash
Spain's transport minister Óscar Puente has stepped down six days after a high-speed train crash that killed 69 people, as he announced new rail safety measures.
Spain's transport minister, Óscar Puente, has resigned six days after a high-speed train crash that killed 69 people. He announced his departure on Tuesday, the same day he unveiled a package of new safety measures for the country's rail network.
Puente outlined improvements to rail control centers and a faster rollout of the European Rail Traffic Management System, an EU-wide signaling and train control framework designed to standardize safety across borders. The measures were presented as a direct response to the disaster, which has raised pressure on the government over the reliability of Spain's fast-rail infrastructure.
The resignation came as Puente faced lawmakers in Madrid, where he was questioned about the accident and the government's handling of rail safety. Puente, who has been one of the most prominent faces of the ruling government's transport policy, had been at the center of mounting criticism in the days following the crash.
The crash has become one of the deadliest rail accidents in Spain in recent memory, and the death toll of 69 has made it a central political issue in the capital. Opposition parties had called for accountability, and the minister's departure is likely to intensify debate over how responsibility for the disaster will be assigned.
Officials have not yet publicly detailed the full findings of the investigation into the cause of the crash. The new safety measures announced Tuesday are intended to address structural concerns in the system, though their effect on the investigation's conclusions remains to be seen.
Source: pbs.org
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