Transport Minister Óscar Puente Faces Harsh Criticism Over Railway Tragedies and Corruption Allegations

Minister of Transport Óscar Puente is under intense political scrutiny following deadly railway accidents in Adamuz, Córdoba, and Gelida, Catalonia, which together claimed 46 lives. During an extraordinary Senate session, Juan José Sanz Vitorio, spokesperson for Transport of the Popular Parliamentary Group, accused Puente of heading a "lethal government" marked by moral, political, and economic corruption, highlighting governmental negligence as a contributing factor to the disasters.

Sanz Vitorio pointed to alarming statistics demonstrating a 175% increase in derailments and a 142% rise in railway incidents from 2018 to 2024. He criticized the poor execution of the Ministry of Transport’s budget, noting that only 55.1% of the budget was executed and 69.2% invested in infrastructure, with recovery funds utilized at merely 31.5%. He underscored that Puente had been made aware of the risk through a commissioned assessment just three months before the fatal Adamuz accident but failed to act sufficiently.

Furthermore, Sanz Vitorio revealed ongoing corruption probes involving two of the last three presidents of ADIF, Spain’s railway infrastructure manager, painting a picture of systemic failures leading to inadequate safety and investment.

In response, Minister Puente acknowledged the poor quality of Rodalies commuter rail services, stating, "Rodalies es un servicio pésimo," and stressed the government’s efforts to improve the system, countering criticisms, especially from independentist parties. Puente refuted claims of negligence, emphasizing investments made under socialist administrations and challenging the opposition’s comparisons with prior governments. While he expressed frustration toward calls for his resignation, he stated he is not deaf to such demands but urged critics to avoid repetitive calls.

This unfolding controversy highlights the growing demand for political accountability amid tragic losses and concerns over government mismanagement and corruption in Spain’s railway sector.