Spain's Transport Minister Resigns Six Days After Train Crash

Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente resigned Tuesday. A high-speed train collision south of Madrid had killed 69 people six days earlier.

• 69 people died when a Renfe train hit a stopped Iryo train.
• 46 people died in a January crash farther south on the same line.
• A communication failure knocked out the line's safety system before the crash.
• Madrid controllers cleared one train forward despite a stopped train ahead.

Why it matters: Spain's high-speed network is the world's second-largest, after China's. It had no fatal crash for over three decades until this year.

• Puente said no transport minister could stay after two such accidents in under a year.
• The crash came four weeks before a national election.

How 17 sources split on this story

What’s next: Puente announced safety measures, including better conditions in rail control centers.

• The government will push for faster rollout of the European Rail Traffic Management System.
• Investigators are still examining the January crash.
• Who will replace Puente, and will rail safety become an election issue?
• Why did controllers clear a train onto a track with a stopped train ahead?
• What caused the January derailment?