Lisbon, Sept. 3, 2026 (Lusa) - The Portuguese capital, Lisbon, marks one year since the derailment of the Gloria funicular on Thursday, with the city council unveiling a memorial to the victims, whilst investigations into the accident and compensation proceedings are still ongoing.
The historic funicular derailed on 3 September 2025 at 6.03 pm, in a tragedy that left 16 people dead and 24 injured, mainly foreign tourists, representing a total of 15 nationalities.
There were five Portuguese nationals among the fatalities, namely the brake operator André Marques, who was operating one of the cabins of this lift system managed by the municipal transport company Carris, and four employees of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa, who were using this public transport service.
As for the nationalities of the other fatalities, three were British, two South Korean, one Canadian, one Swiss, one Canadian and one Moroccan, one Ukrainian, one American and one French.
Among the injured were citizens of Portuguese, Spanish, Israeli, Brazilian, Italian, French, German, South Korean, Swiss, Cabo Verdean, Moroccan and British nationalities.
In its 140-year history, this was the worst accident involving the Glória funicular, which is classified as a National Monument and connects Praça dos Restauradores to Jardim de São Pedro de Alcântara over a distance of 276 metres, with a steep gradient.
One year on, of the 40 compensation claims filed on behalf of the families of those killed and the survivors of the accident, only four have been settled, according to Carris's insurer, Fidelidade, which added that a further seven are currently under negotiation, whilst «one case is following the relevant legal proceedings, as it has not yet been possible to reach an agreement».
«There is another fatality whose case is being dealt with exclusively under the workplace accident scheme, for which provisional pensions are being paid; these will continue until the case is concluded in the employment tribunal,» it stated, noting that, in the remaining three cases involving fatalities, it has not yet been possible to submit a final compensation offer due to the need for «essential documentation and the specific legal requirements of the countries involved».
As for the 24 injured, all «remain in a condition where their clinical status has not yet been definitively established», Fidelidade reported, explaining that a final assessment of compensation can only be carried out once their condition has stabilised, in order to «properly determine the extent of any long-term effects and the injuries sustained».
Investigations by the Office for the Prevention and Investigation of Aircraft and Railway Accidents (GPIAAF) and the public prosecutor's office into the causes and liabilities for the accident are still ongoing, with both bodies estimating that they will reach conclusions «by the end of the first quarter of 2027».
To mark the first anniversary of the tragedy, the city council is to unveil a memorial today in honour of the victims at Largo da Oliveirinha, next to Calçada da Glória, where the accident took place.
The memorial includes a 150-year-old olive tree surrounded by 16 limestone blocks of «varying heights, with surfaces prepared for the engraving of the victims' names».
The Portuguese Road and Urban Transport Workers' Union (STRUP) will also be holding a tribute today to all the victims, and in particular to the brakeman André Marques, by laying a wreath at the foot of Calçada da Glória.
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