Lisbon, Sept. 3, 2026 (Lusa) - Victims and families affected by the Glória funicular derailment have revealed, in an open letter, that they have felt «overlooked» by Lisbon City Council throughout this year, noting that «the only direct contact» was in connection with today's unveiling of the memorial.
«A year on, we continue to await answers, support and accountability,» reads an open letter from victims and families affected by the Glória accident, written in English and addressed to the media, to which the Lusa news agency gained access today.
Marking one year since the derailment, which took place on 3 September 2025 and left 16 dead and 24 injured, mainly foreign tourists, relatives of those killed and survivors of the accident emphasised that there is «a pain that has not yet gone away».
«A year on, we, the victims and the affected families, feel we need to speak out. We know that the investigation is still ongoing and that genuine answers take time. We are not asking anyone to rush or to draw conclusions before the facts are known. What we are asking for is much simpler: communication, transparency, support and accountability,» the open letter states.
For most of the victims and affected families, this first year since the accident has been about more than mourning: «It has also been about waiting for information, hoping for updates, and seeking meaningful communication.» «This has been particularly challenging for families living outside Portugal. For a whole year, many of us received only one direct communication from Lisbon City Council: an invitation to the unveiling of the memorial. We understand the importance of the memorial and are grateful that the victims are being remembered. Yet, when that invitation represents the only direct contact we have had from the city in 12 months, we would appreciate more consistent engagement,» they said.
According to the victims and affected families, the invitation also stated that no journalists would be present, out of respect for the families' privacy.
«We understand the intention. But to many of us, it felt as though something was wrong. After a year of silence, what we needed was not to be shielded from public discourse; we needed, at last, to be part of it,» they emphasised.
For this reason, in this first year since the tragedy, the victims and affected families emphasised the importance of being heard.
«We believe it is important for people to hear directly from those who continue to live with the consequences of what happened,» they stressed.
When journalists asked about this open letter at the end of the ceremony to unveil the memorial to the victims, the Mayor of Lisbon (CML), Carlos Moedas (PSD), was brief in his explanations: «Please don't take this the wrong way, I understand the questions […] the answers have been given. The City Council has always been there, is there now and will always be there.» «It is a day to pay tribute and show our solidarity, and it is also a day of gratitude. Honouring those who have passed away, who are no longer with us, is our duty and a matter of remembrance,» said Carlos Moedas.
The memorial honouring the victims is located in Largo da Oliveirinha, next to Calçada da Glória, where the accident took place, and consists of a 150-year-old olive tree surrounded by 16 limestone blocks bearing the victims' names.
One year on, of the 40 claims for compensation filed by the families of those killed and by survivors of the accident, only four have been settled, according to information from Fidelidade, the insurer of the municipal transport company Carris.
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 responsibilities for the accident are still ongoing and are expected to be announced in the first quarter of next year.
SSM/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
