Adif chief resigns as Cuerpo takes over Transport

Adif president Luis Pedro Marco de la Peña resigned on Wednesday during a meeting with Carlos Cuerpo. Cuerpo had just taken temporary control of the Transport Ministry.

Cuerpo accepted the move and called it the right decision. Marco left one day after Óscar Puente quit as transport minister following the Urda rail crash.

That crash killed 69 people in Toledo province. It came after a January crash near Adamuz, which killed 46 people.

Two accounts of Marco’s exit

Government sources said Marco had told Puente that he planned to leave before meeting Cuerpo. Cuerpo later said it was a resignation, not a sacking.

A separate account in El Español said Cuerpo forced the exit to show firm control of the rail crisis. It said the government wanted a clear break in rail management before the 29 November election.

No public statement has settled the difference between those accounts. Marco had led Adif, the state rail body, since September 2024.

Ángel García de la Bandera has been named as the main possible new Adif chief. He now leads its Operations and Exploitation unit. No official choice has been made.

His unit runs Adif’s control centres. Those centres are under review in the inquiry into the Urda crash.

Cuerpo opens talks with rail unions

Cuerpo began a round of union talks on Thursday as pressure grew over rail safety and working terms. His first meeting was with the train drivers’ union Semaf.

The head of Renfe and the transport state secretary were also due to attend. Cuerpo plans to meet other unions in the next few days.

Rail unions have called a sector-wide strike for 17 November. They want safer working rules, more staff and less use of outside firms. The strike is open to staff at public and private rail firms.

Semaf has also called Renfe drivers out on 10 and 12 November. It says past deals on rail safety have not been kept.

Cuerpo said the government wants any strike to cause as little harm as possible to rail users. His task now includes talks with staff, the Adif handover and safety steps after Urda.

Transport stays with Cuerpo for now

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez put Cuerpo in charge of Transport on 4 November. He remains first deputy prime minister and economy minister.

The role will last until a new government takes office after the 29 November election. Sánchez said the key aims were to help people hit by the Urda crash and restore high-speed rail service.

Puente quit on 3 November after speaking to Congress. He also left the election race. His name will stay on the Valladolid ballot because the deadline had passed.

Sources: El Confidencial; El Español; Canal Sur; Europa Press.