Lisbon crash probe exposes deadly safety failings on funicular

Lisbon crash probe exposes deadly safety failings on funicular

 

A preliminary report into last month’s Lisbon funicular disaster — which killed 16 people and injured 20 — has revealed a shocking chain of technical and managerial failures. Investigators found that the underground cable connecting the Glória funicular’s two carriages was defective, uncertified for passenger use, and never properly tested before installation.

 

Portugal’s Air and Rail Accident Investigations Bureau said the cable, installed in 2022, was “not technically suitable” and acquired without certification by Carris, the city’s public transport company. Carris has since fired its head of maintenance for trams and funiculars, though it insists the same type of cable had operated safely for over 600 days.

 

The 140-year-old Glória funicular — a popular tourist attraction climbing Lisbon’s steep Bairro Alto — derailed and slammed into a building on 3 September. Among the 16 dead were three Britons and 11 other foreign nationals.

 

The report also found that an outsourced maintenance company falsely cleared the funicular for service on the morning of the crash, possibly without conducting an actual inspection. The emergency braking system, which the driver attempted to use, failed to engage and had never been tested beforehand.

Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas, recently re-elected, said the findings confirmed “technical, not political causes.” However, the report stressed that conclusions were preliminary and that “responsibility should not yet be presumed.”

 

All of Lisbon’s cable cars have now been suspended pending safety checks. Investigators have urged the city to overhaul maintenance oversight, introduce modern safety management systems, and close loopholes exempting historic funiculars from standard transport regulations.

 

Key Takeaways:

• Defective, uncertified cable blamed for Lisbon’s deadly funicular crash.

• Emergency brake failed; inspections likely falsified before tragedy.

• All Lisbon cable cars suspended amid sweeping safety overhaul.

 

Source: [BBC]