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A photo shows the site of the accident following the derailment of the Gloria funicular railway car, a popular tourist attraction, resulting in multiple fatalities, according to officials, in Lisbon, Portugal, September 4. — Reuters
Lisbon experienced a tragic derailment when a historic cable car, part of the city’s iconic transport system, crashed, claiming at least 16 lives. The incident has highlighted issues with the aging infrastructure of Portugal’s capital, a city known for its vibrant tourism but also its vintage, yet fragile, transport features.
During Wednesday’s crash, the railcar veered off the track on a turn and collided with a building just a few meters from its counterpart at the base of the steep 865-foot slope. The wreckage was severely damaged, with victims trapped inside. The cable that powered the funicular had snapped.
Jorge Silva, vice president of Portugal’s civil protection technical experts, explained that using a more modern material, like carbon fiber, instead of the traditional metal and wood—used since the line was electrified in 1914—could have lessened the severity of the crash.
“The parts are sturdy enough to handle normal operations and oscillations but aren’t designed to withstand impact during a derailment, which causes them to twist and expose passengers to greater harm,” Silva said.
Lisbon’s historic tram system, which climbs its steep streets and shares a similar vintage structure, faces similar concerns, he added.
He emphasized that investments are needed to upgrade the train carriages with modern materials while maintaining their historic appearance. An investigation will determine whether the funicular’s entanglement cable system contributed to the accident.
The “Gloria” funicular, with technology proven over more than a century, has seen passenger numbers triple over the last decade due to tourism growth, now serving over 3 million visitors annually. The two cars, each with a capacity for around 40 passengers, operate by alternating climbs and descents, powered by electric motors pulling on a shared cable.
Union leader Manuel Leal told local television that workers had previously raised alarms about tension issues with the cable, which hampered braking, but it’s too soon to confirm whether that caused the derailment.
The municipal transit provider Carris assured that all maintenance procedures were followed. Silva indicated that more rigorous, frequent inspections are likely necessary to prevent similar incidents, especially as ridership has increased.
However, efforts to modernize the city’s aging infrastructure are complicated by seismic concerns. Lisbon, shaken by the devastating earthquake of 1755, still considers earthquake-resistant design a top priority. Many historic buildings, especially in downtown Lisbon, built shortly after 1755 with early earthquake-resistant features, have been recently modified, potentially compromising their structural defenses. Although laws mandate seismic reinforcements for buildings constructed after 1958, older structures undergoing renovation are not required to be reinforced against earthquakes.
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