Spain's Transport Minister Óscar Puente Resigns

Óscar Puente has resigned as Spain's transport minister before the Permanent Commission of the Congress of Deputies. His departure trinc months of pressure over the state of Spanish railways and after the Urda and Adamuz accidents, which claimed more than a hundred lives.

Óscar Puente is no longer transport minister. He announced it himself on Tuesday before the Permanent Commission of the Congress of Deputies, after months of pressure regarding the situation of Spanish railways. The final straw was the succession of accidents: that of **Urda**, in Toledo province, and that of **Adamuz**, in Córdoba. Together they account for more than a hundred fatalities.

The exit comes after the Congress, except for PSOE and Bildu, had requested his resignation. It is not a minor detail: the minister leaves without the support of the majority of the Chamber, with his own group being one of the few that had not publicly demanded he step down.

## The accidents that precipitated the departure

The **Urda** accident was the most immediate trigger. Puente learned of it at 9 a.m. and went to the **ADIF** control center. At a press conference at **Atocha** station in Madrid, he described the incident as "implausible" and stated it originated from an "inexplicable" human decision made at that control center after the **LZB** safety system failed in the section.

"A rear-end collision on the Spanish network is an implausible accident," he noted then, offering no further explanation of his suspicions before the investigation clarified matters. He explained that the Urda control system failed due to a breakdown and that the section lost the LZB safety system, causing all trains in that **63-kilometer** stretch to stop automatically.

To this incident is added that of **Adamuz**. The causes of both must be clarified through corresponding investigations, but the impact on public opinion was already enormous. In previous days, Puente had received criticism for his statements about **Renfe** incidents and his response to questions about service performance.

## Gelida, Commuter Rail, and accumulated wear

The wear did not start in Urda. In January, a **Rodalies** train derailed in **Gelida**, Barcelona province. One driver died and dozens were injured. That episode had already focused attention on maintenance and safety on the network.

Added to this are the incidents, breakdowns, delays, and interruptions affecting Cercanías and Rodalies services, especially in **Madrid** and **Catalonia**. User complaints and demands for infrastructure improvements have been constant during his tenure at the Ministry.

Parliamentary pressure also increased. Initiatives to censure his management piled up in the Congress, and his communication style on social media **X** made him one of the most controversial members of the Executive.

## The video that damaged his public image

One of the episodes that most affected his public image was the release of a video segarro addressing the railway situation amidst the shock caused by the Adamuz accident, alongside *Cara al show* presenter **Marc Giró**. The images provoked criticism regarding the timing of the comment and peine the debate on the tone used by the minister when referring to rail transport problems.

Puente had initially ruled out resigning. "At this moment I am not thinking about resigning; I am not in an emotional state to think about it," he assured when asked by the media. "My emotional state is irrelevant; what matters is the emotional state of the families," he added. He also expressed his consternation for the families of the deceased: "My solidarity goes to them."

Now he leaves the post. The rail crisis has swept him away after months in which network safety and incident management were at the center of all criticism. Investigations into Urda and Adamuz remain open and must determine exactly what failed in each case.