MADRID, November 04, 2026 (DAILYNWZ) — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has appointed his deputy, Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo, to temporarily oversee the Transport Ministry after Oscar Puente resigned following two deadly high-speed train crashes that killed a combined 115 people.
Puente’s departure, announced six days after the second disaster, removes one of Sanchez’s most prominent and combative ministers from the government as the ruling Socialists prepare for a November 29 election.
In a televised address on Wednesday, Sanchez praised Puente’s decision, saying it reflected political dignity and would help restore public confidence in Spain’s rail network. He described Cuerpo as a minister with “an enormous capacity for management and integrity”.
Puente announced his departure late Tuesday, following a tense four-hour questioning by lawmakers from a parliamentary body operating during the caretaker period. Representatives of most political parties had called on him to take responsibility for the two accidents.
The 57-year-old minister said he had decided to resign immediately after last week’s crash in Urda, central Spain, but had kept the decision private, telling only his family and not even informing Sanchez.
Independent political analyst Eduardo Bayon said the resignation could deprive the opposition People’s Party (PP) of its main target, shifting the debate from demands for political departures to the measures needed to improve rail safety.
“The government needs to fill that void with concrete railway security and investment measures — trust in high-speed rail will remain a campaign topic,” Bayon said.
Sanchez called Puente’s departure an example of public service, saying: “Politicians like (Puente) bring honour to our country and show us that we are not all the same. Whilst some merely preach, others give their all.”
PP leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo responded on X by urging Sanchez to follow Puente’s example. “Apply this to yourself,” he wrote.
Puente’s resignation will take effect once published in the official state gazette. He also confirmed he would not run in the November 29 election.
The departure comes at a difficult moment for the Socialists, who had planned to campaign on their record in protecting public services and addressing Spain’s housing crisis. Polls conducted after last Wednesday’s crash showed a slight decline in support for the governing party.
A lawyer, former mayor and stage actor, Puente took charge of the Transport Ministry in November 2023. His tenure included the expansion of Spain’s rail network and investment programmes partly backed by European Union recovery funds.
However, he had faced years of criticism from unions and opposition parties over alleged underinvestment in maintenance and growing service disruptions. In February, the Senate passed a motion calling for his resignation after a fatal accident on the Madrid-Seville line, the same route where last week’s collision occurred.
Often described by Spanish media commentators as Sanchez’s “attack dog”, Puente was known for his confrontational exchanges with political rivals on social media and in parliament. His combative profile had also made him a prominent figure in speculation over who might eventually succeed Sanchez.