Puente announced his decision at the end of a lengthy congressional session on Tuesday evening in which he had outlined new rail safety measures and had been grilled by the opposition.

He also said: "I am not only stepping down from my position as minister of transport, but... I am also withdrawing my name from the lists for the early legislative elections."

Puente's position immediately came under scrutiny after the 28 October crash.

The main opposition, the conservative People's Party (PP) and the far-right Vox, were both calling for his resignation - as were some of the government's allies.

They argued that the minister should take responsibility for a high-speed rail system that many Spaniards now regard as unsafe and whose credibility even Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez admitted was "broken".

The opposition also criticised Puente for appearing to blame human error for the crash, claiming the minister was trying to deflect the blame from his own failings.

But, having said he was going to…