Spain’s Transport Minister Óscar Puente has presented the composition of the new independent authority responsible for investigating transport accidents. The planned commission will in future analyse serious incidents involving rail, air and maritime transport. Even before the authority officially begins its work, its proposed membership is already causing political debate.
Spain Expat Press Editorial Team
by Marlon Gallego Bosbach
Particular criticism has focused on the fact that the maritime sector is expected to have significantly stronger representation within the new commission than either the rail or aviation sectors. Following several serious train accidents in Spain, many observers had expected rail expertise to take centre stage.
New Authority to Centrally Investigate Transport Accidents
The new institution bears the official name “Autoridad Administrativa Independiente para la Investigación Técnica de Accidentes e Incidentes ferroviarios, marítimos y de aviación civil”. In future, it is intended to bring together the previously separate investigation commissions for rail, aviation and maritime transport under a single authority.
With this reform, the Spanish government aims to make investigations into serious accidents more independent, transparent and efficient. At the same time, Madrid is responding to longstanding criticism of the previous system, in which some commissions were considered too closely linked to the Ministry of Transport. In future, the new authority will analyse the technical causes of accidents, identify safety shortcomings and issue recommendations aimed at preventing similar disasters in the future.
Maritime Expert Set to Become President
Jorge Guillén has been proposed as president of the new authority. The expert has decades of experience in the maritime sector and has worked, among other roles, as a merchant navy captain and as maritime director in A Coruña. In addition, he is a member of the Spanish engineering corps for naval architecture and ship technology.
This particular appointment has, however, sparked widespread debate. Critics accuse the Ministry of Transport of setting the wrong priorities in light of the recent serious rail accidents. Many observers had expected the leadership of the new institution to be entrusted to a recognised rail expert.
More Representatives from the Maritime Sector Than from Rail
The new commission is set to consist of seven members in total. Notably, three representatives come from the maritime sector, while only two experts are designated to represent the rail sector. The remaining members come from the aviation industry.
Particularly after the serious train crash in Adamuz in early 2026, in which numerous people lost their lives, victims’ associations and safety experts had called for far greater emphasis to be placed on rail safety. As a result, many relatives of the victims and opposition figures are now reacting critically to the proposed composition of the authority.
Background: Criticism of Previous Accident Investigations
The new authority was already approved by law in 2024. The move followed years of debate over the independence of technical accident investigations in Spain. Particularly after several serious rail accidents, victims’ associations and European institutions criticised the existing investigation commissions for not operating independently enough from the Ministry of Transport.
The European Union had also repeatedly urged Spain to introduce a more transparent and independent system. The new authority is therefore intended to operate autonomously in future, carrying out technical analyses, issuing safety warnings, and developing recommendations for infrastructure operators and public authorities. Political influence over investigations is to be explicitly ruled out.
Óscar Puente Defends the Decision
Transport Minister Óscar Puente defended the proposed appointments despite the ongoing criticism. According to government sources, the selection was made solely on the basis of professional qualifications.
It is noteworthy, however, that only a few weeks ago Puente himself stated that a rail expert would in fact be better suited to lead the new authority. At the same time, he admitted that it had proven difficult to find a suitable candidate from the rail sector.
The opposition is now calling for greater transparency in the selection of the candidates and warns that the credibility of the new institution could already be damaged before it officially begins its work.
Confidence in Safety in Focus
The new commission is regarded as one of the most important reform projects in the Spanish transport sector in recent years. Following several serious accidents, safety in public transport has increasingly become a central issue in political debate.
The Spanish government now hopes that the new authority will strengthen public confidence in independent accident investigations while also sustainably improving safety standards across the entire transport sector.
