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What happened at Urda
On October 28, 2026, a state-run Renfe high-speed train struck the rear of a stationary private Iryo train outside Urda, a town about 130 kilometres south of Madrid on the Madrid-Seville line. Reports say an automatic safety system failure had brought trains to a halt on a stretch of the track, after which a control centre authorised the Renfe service to continue its journey. Investigators have not yet determined the direct cause of the crash, and the speed at impact has been reported at between 160 and 200 km/h.
Two crashes in less than a year
Announcing his decision, Puente said a transport minister could not stay in office after two rail accidents of such gravity within less than a year. An earlier crash on the same line, at Adamuz in January, killed 46 people. The two disasters together claimed 115 lives. Puente said he had decided to step down within minutes of hearing about the Urda collision, but remained in his post until emergency measures, preliminary inquiries, victim compensation steps and safety measures were under way.
What happens next
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has asked Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo to run the Transport Ministry provisionally until the election. The government has approved a 30 million euro aid package for victims and their families, and announced new safety rules, including a requirement that drivers slow to 40 km/h after a signalling failure so they can inspect the track. Puente's resignation was expected to take effect once published in the official state gazette.
The resignation deprives the ruling Socialists of one of their most prominent ministers just weeks before the election, and places the safety of Spain's high-speed rail network at the heart of the campaign.
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Source: Channel News Asia report on the minister's resignation
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