The initial shock, which seemed to open a window to institutional cooperation, has given way to a closing of ranks among the parties and a new exchange of reproaches. The recent railway accidents—the collision in Adamuz, with 42 victims, and the derailment in Gelida, with one fatality and several injuries—have ended the initial gestures of political unity, and PP, Vox, and Junts have intensified pressure on the Government, demanding explanations and concrete measures, focusing their criticism on the Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, and on President Pedro Sánchez himself.
Junts demands accountability and appearances
The Catalan group has called for Puente's appearance in the Senate and Congress to account for the management of the railway crisis. For Junts, the accidents reflect infrastructure deficiencies and safety failures, for which they demand clear answers and concrete plans to prevent future incidents of this kind. The party has also requested an examination of the supervision of Rodalies in Catalonia.
Vox and Opportunism
Vox has taken criticism to the extreme and has demanded the immediate appearance of the Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, and the presidents of Renfe and Adif in both the Congress and the Senate to explain what happened in the Adamuz (Córdoba) accident and the responsibilities. Their spokesperson in the Chamber, Pepa Millán, has maintained that "traveling in Spain is no longer safe" and has linked the incident to an "unprecedented deterioration" of infrastructure, demanding more internal reports and communications related to the state of the tracks.
The PP Breaks the Truce
The Popular Party has harshly criticized the Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, following his statements about the train drivers' strike. From Génova, PP leaders question Puente's attribution of the mobilization solely to the staff's "state of mind," while dozens of workers had already warned about track problems before the Adamuz tragedy. As stated by Esther Muñoz, this constitutes "a disregard for the safety of travelers and for the warnings of the railway personnel themselves."
Did Oscar Puente just say that the train drivers have called a general strike due to their mood and not because of the accidents that have caused the deaths of dozens of people after months of warnings about the state of the tracks?
— ESTER MUÑOZ (@EsterMunoz85) January 21, 2026
The collapse is total. Moral misery… pic.twitter.com/t5qPSdEJxi
The combination of Junts' demands, Vox's opportunism, and increased pressure from the PP marks the end of a truce following the accidents in Adamuz and Gelida. While the focus should be on the investigation and support for the victims, the tragedy has once again become a battlefield where the Government is on the other side of the board.
Despite the sparks and tension, it is worth remembering that the country continues to mourn the victims of the railway accidents, and that the priority remains caring for the injured and supporting the victims' families