Overview
- The Elevador da Glória derailed on 3 September, crashed into poles and a building on Calçada da Glória, and left 16 dead and 21 injured.
- Experts say a rope replaced six years ago used six steel strands around a fiber core rather than all steel, a change they consider potentially consequential.
- Engineers suggest the fiber core may have deformed and lost volume over time, with vibration, friction and heat contributing to the rope detaching from the car.
- Excess oil on the rails is cited as another possible factor that could have impaired braking, and the on-board brakeman was among the fatalities.
- These hypotheses stem from a first investigation report, and Portugal’s accident office expects to publish a more detailed update in over a month.