A preliminary report into last month's funicular crash in Lisbon that killed 16 people 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, was defective and had never been certified for passenger transportation.
The cable, technically unsuitable, was acquired in 2022 by Carris, the company operating Lisbon's public transport, which has since dismissed its head of maintenance for funiculars and trams.
The 140-year-old Glória funicular, favored by tourists, derailed and crashed into a building on September 3.
Among those killed were 11 foreigners, including three British nationals, while an additional 20 people sustained injuries.
The preliminary report, released on Monday, revealed there had been no oversight from Carris engineers, and crucial checks were not conducted before the cable's installation.
The maintenance of the funicular, outsourced by Carris, was also ineffective—the Glória funicular was reportedly given the all-clear on the morning of the accident, though it remains uncertain if the inspection actually took place.
Furthermore, the emergency brake system, which the driver attempted to engage when the cable snapped, failed to function properly and had never been tested prior.
Despite these findings, the report cautions that the gathered information is incomplete, with more tests and analyses necessary. It emphasized that responsibility should not be presumed.
Lisbon's Mayor Carlos Moedas, re-elected on October 12 amid criticisms of oversight, remarked that the accident's cause was technical rather than political.
Carris stated it was premature to conclude whether the cable issues contributed to the crash, noting the cable had been operational for 601 days without incident.
The report clearly called for Carris to adopt a new safety management system that aligns with European best practices.
The full investigation report will be completed in around 11 months, with facilities ordered to halt operations until necessary safety protocols are implemented. All braking systems must be reassessed to ensure they can stop carriages in a cable failure, a crucial oversight in the Glória accident.
Furthermore, the report recommended addressing the regulatory loophole that exempts Lisbon's historic funiculars from the same legal and supervisory standards applied to other cable-driven transport systems.
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