Spanish Transport Minister Oscar Puente has stepped down less than a week after a train collision that ranks among the deadliest in the country’s history. He has also withdrawn from the upcoming general election.
Puente said on Tuesday that he had decided to quit immediately after last week’s crash, but he stayed in office while the government coordinated its first response. The collision, the second major rail disaster in Spain in under a year, killed 69 people in the Castilla-La Mancha region of central Spain.
Puente cites two severe accidents within a year
Puente argued that a transport minister in Spain cannot remain in post after two accidents of this severity in such a short period. He was also referring to a high-speed train derailment in Andalusia in January, which killed 46 people.
Also read: Spain's transport minister refuses to resign after train crash · Spain train collision kills at least 68 south of Madrid
How the Madrid-Seville line collision unfolded
On Wednesday last week, a high-speed train run by state-owned Renfe slammed into a stationary train at an estimated speed of 60 to 200 kilometres per hour, or 100 to 125 miles per hour. The crash happened on the Madrid-Seville line.
Trains on a particular stretch had been ordered to stop after a signal failure. Central controllers in Madrid, who had taken over control after the fault, nevertheless allowed the Renfe train to continue, and it collided with a privately operated Iryo train.
Services on the Madrid-Seville line have since been reduced. The Railway Safety Agency is reviewing the line’s safety system, while the government completes the long-delayed rollout of the European Rail Traffic Management System.
New safety measures and compensation for families
Among the planned safety steps is an artificial intelligence agent intended to cut human error by detecting anomalies and monitoring conversations between train drivers and controllers. Puente said Spain would be the first country to deploy such a safety mechanism.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has announced a 30-million-euro ($33.5m) aid package for victims and their families. Bereaved families will receive 72,121 euros ($80,776) in direct aid, along with an equal amount in advance compensation.
