A preliminary report into last month's funicular crash in Lisbon that killed 16 people including three British nationals has detailed a litany of failings. Portugal's Air and Rail Accident Investigations Bureau stated that an underground cable, which acted as a counterweight between two carriages and broke, prompting the crash, was defective and had never been certified for passenger transportation. The cable was not technically suitable and was acquired in 2022 by the company running Lisbon's public transport, Carris.
The historic Glória funicular, known for attracting tourists, derailed and crashed into a building on September 3. Among the victims were 11 foreigners, including the three British nationals, while another 20 people sustained injuries.
The report notes that Carris engineers conducted no oversight, and the cable was not tested before installation. The maintenance supervision, handled by an outsourced company, erroneously deemed the funicular safe on the morning of the accident. Furthermore, the state body responsible for overseeing Lisbon's funiculars failed to cover the Glória line.
An emergency brake system, which the driver attempted to activate during the incident, malfunctioned and had never been previously tested. Lisbon's mayor, Carlos Moedas, maintained that the tragedy was due to technical issues rather than political failures.
Carris responded to the report, claiming it is unclear whether the faulty cable contributed to the accident, noting the cable had been operating without issues for 601 days before the crash. The complete investigation report is expected to take about 11 months to finalize. In the meantime, safety checks have grounded all Lisbon cable cars.
The historic Glória funicular, known for attracting tourists, derailed and crashed into a building on September 3. Among the victims were 11 foreigners, including the three British nationals, while another 20 people sustained injuries.
The report notes that Carris engineers conducted no oversight, and the cable was not tested before installation. The maintenance supervision, handled by an outsourced company, erroneously deemed the funicular safe on the morning of the accident. Furthermore, the state body responsible for overseeing Lisbon's funiculars failed to cover the Glória line.
An emergency brake system, which the driver attempted to activate during the incident, malfunctioned and had never been previously tested. Lisbon's mayor, Carlos Moedas, maintained that the tragedy was due to technical issues rather than political failures.
Carris responded to the report, claiming it is unclear whether the faulty cable contributed to the accident, noting the cable had been operating without issues for 601 days before the crash. The complete investigation report is expected to take about 11 months to finalize. In the meantime, safety checks have grounded all Lisbon cable cars.
