Overview
- Portugal’s accident investigators (GPIAAF) said the Glória derailment was triggered by the disconnection of the cable at a cabin fixation point.
- The cable did not meet operator Carris specifications and had been installed in summer 2024, with fixation points only visible during biennial replacement.
- Investigators found maintenance operations were logged as completed but gathered evidence suggesting the records may not match work actually performed.
- The driver activated both braking systems, which were not designed to halt a cabin without the counterweight effect, exposing a fundamental safety gap.
- The agency urged Lisbon’s other funiculars to remain suspended until cable fixation and braking can be guaranteed; the September 3 crash killed 16 and injured about 20.