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Adif chief resigns after Toledo rail tragedy that left 69 people dead

Raluca Ioana Draghici

5 November 2026, 07:13

International

Oscar DEL POZO / AFP / Profimedia

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Adif President Luis Pedro Marco de la Peña submitted his resignation to Spanish Transport Minister Carlos Cuerpo on Wednesday, one week after the collision between two high-speed trains that occurred in Toledo province. The accident left 69 people dead and dozens injured.

The resignation is the second departure from office by a Spanish official within 24 hours, following that of Transport Minister Óscar Puente, announced on November 3. Adif is the institution responsible for Spain’s railway infrastructure, signaling, and traffic control.

Before the announcement, Marco de la Peña met with Minister Carlos Cuerpo, Renfe President Álvaro Fernández Heredia, and Secretary of State for Transport José Antonio Santano. The previous day, a government official had stated that there were no plans to dismiss the head of Adif and had rejected reports concerning Minister Puente’s resignation.

The departures come amid a series of serious accidents. In January, at least 45 people were killed and another 170 injured after two trains derailed near the town of Adamuz in southern Spain. Puente stated that he could not remain in office after two accidents of such gravity in less than a year, even though his direct responsibility had not been established.

Context: the investigation following the collision in Toledo indicated signaling failures and a “possible human error,” while protests and strikes broke out in Spain

After the railway accident in the province of Toledo, Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente spoke of a possible “human error” and mentioned that the LZB signaling system may have failed around 08:30. The failure triggered the automatic stopping of several trains, and subsequently the control center allegedly authorized a Renfe train to resume movement, a decision considered “inexplicable,” possibly linked to human error. The authorities opened an investigation to clarify the causes of the collision.

Meanwhile, the authorities organized support for the victims and families, and the government declared three days of national mourning. In Madrid, dozens of people protested, demanding explanations and accountability, while railway conductors went on strike for additional safety measures, amid criticism regarding infrastructure maintenance.