Faulty Cable Causes Lisbon Funicular Crash Killing 16, Authorities Order All Cable Cars Closed for Safety

A preliminary inquiry into the September 3 derailment of Lisbon’s historic Elevador da Glória found that a cable connecting the two cabins snapped.

“A report reveals that some maintenance tasks on the Gloria funicular, which operated since 1885 in Lisbon, were recorded as completed without the work actually being done”

El Mundo

This caused a carriage to hurtle down the slope and crash into a building within roughly 50 seconds.

El Mundo

The accident resulted in 16 fatalities, with several sources reporting about 20 injuries.

Some reports describe the impact site simply as a building, while others specify it was a hotel, showing minor variations in eyewitness accounts.

Investigators say the incident unfolded rapidly on the steep line, which is a signature tourist attraction dating back to the 19th century.

Investigators concluded the immediate cause was a faulty, uncertified haulage cable that did not meet the city operator Carris’s specifications.

According to one report, the cable was improperly installed and not strong enough.

El Periódico Mediterráneo

Multiple outlets emphasize the lack of certification for public transport use.

The inquiry tied the rupture directly to the catastrophe.

The Portuguese GPIAAF’s preliminary findings form the basis of these conclusions, pending a fuller technical report.

Beyond the snapped cable, preliminary findings point to systemic safety failures.

“The cables of a funicular system were replaced again in 2024 with identical ones after a rupture occurred at the cabin fixing socket inside the detwister following 337 days of use”

Xinhua

The brakes could not stop the carriage once the cable failed.

Management and maintenance lapses also contributed to the incident.

Reports note the brakes were activated but ineffective without the counterweight system.

A routine inspection that morning had found no issues.

Some critical attachment points are only visible during biannual replacements.

One outlet highlights allegations of false maintenance records and inadequate internal controls at the operator and subcontractors.

These factors paint a picture of layered risk.