Carris technicians perform tests on a Bica funicular car, closed temporarily after the Gloria funicular accident in Lisbon on September 10, 2025. PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP
The funicular that crashed in Lisbon killing 16 people in early September had a faulty cable, the official inquiry said Monday, October 20, recommending the city's vehicles stay out of service until their safety can be confirmed.
The accident, which saw the picture-postcard 19th-century Gloria tramway hurtle into a building after careering off the rails, shocked the Portuguese capital and laid bare fears over the safety of the popular yet ageing tourist attraction.
Portugal's air and rail accident investigations bureau (GPIAAF) wrote in a note published three days after the tragedy that a cable linking two cabins disconnected shortly before the September 3 incident.
The GPIAAF's preliminary report released on Monday said the cable was not up to the standards laid out by the city's transport operator, CCFL. "The cable did not comply with the specifications in force at the CCFL to be used for the Gloria tram," the 35-page report stated.
