Preliminary Findings on Lisbon Funicular Disaster Point to Serious Failures

Tue Oct 21 2025 20:47:09 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

An initial report reveals significant neglect and technical failures leading to the tragic Lisbon funicular crash that resulted in 16 fatalities.

A preliminary investigation into the Lisbon funicular crash indicates that the incident, which killed 16 people, was due to various oversights, including defective equipment and inadequate maintenance procedures. The report cites a defective counterweight cable that was not suitable for passenger transport and lacked required certifications. The company operating the funicular has since taken disciplinary actions against responsible staff and all cable cars in Lisbon have been suspended for safety checks as investigations continue.

A preliminary report into last month's funicular crash in Lisbon that killed 16 people has detailed a litany of failings.

Portugal's Air and Rail Accident Investigations Bureau said an underground cable - which acted as a counterweight between two carriages and broke, causing the crash - was defective and had never been certified for passenger transportation.

It said the cable was not technically suitable and was acquired in 2022 by Carris, the company running Lisbon's public transport that now says it has dismissed its head of maintenance of funiculars and trams.

The 140-year-old Glória funicular, popular with tourists, derailed and crashed into a building on 3 September.

There were 11 foreigners among those killed, including three British nationals, while another 20 people were injured.

The preliminary report, released on Monday, indicated there had been no oversight by Carris engineers, and the cable was not tested before it was installed.

The supervision and maintenance of the funicular by a company outsourced by Carris also failed to properly inspect the system, allegedly giving the Glória funicular the all-clear on the morning of the disaster.

The emergency brake system, which the driver correctly tried to apply when the cable snapped, did not function properly and was never tested, according to the report.

Lisbon's Mayor, Carlos Moedas, commented on the report, emphasizing that the tragedy was due to technical issues rather than political failures.

The full report will take about 11 months to complete, but in the meantime, all Lisbon cable cars have been ordered out of service until necessary safety checks are implemented.