Lisbon, Oct. 21, 2025 (Lusa) — On Tuesday, the Os Verdes (Greens) group in the Lisbon Municipal Assembly demanded a "full explanation" from the Lisbon City Council about the "irregularities" detected in the operation of the Glória funicular and urgent measures for the safety of Lisbon's funiculars.
The Ecologist Party Os Verdes' demand for explanations follows the preliminary report by the Office for the Prevention and Investigation of Aircraft Accidents and Railway Accidents (GPIAAF) on the causes of the accident that killed 16 people on 3 September, as well as around two dozen injured, to which Lusa had access.
In a statement, the ecologist party's group in the Lisbon Municipal Assembly stressed that the preliminary report "reveals quite serious flaws in the equipment and maintenance, the existence of which cannot be relativised, nor referred to solely as technical".
"We therefore need full clarification from the mayor, who oversees Carris, of the reasons that led to such irregularities, on the one hand, and, on the other, how we are going to urgently implement the recommendations, which should be seen more as guidelines, to ensure that there is an effective safety system in Lisbon's funiculars," the group said.
The preliminary report stated that the cable joining the two cabins of the Glória funicular, which gave way at the point where it was attached to the carriage that derailed, did not comply with Carris' specifications, was not certified for use in transporting people and was already wearing out.
The public body found faults and omissions in the maintenance of the lift, which was the responsibility of a service provider. This included procedures that were recorded as having been carried out but not actually carried out.
It also pointed to a lack of training for employees and technicians specialising in funiculars and a lack of control and supervision by Carris of the work carried out by the company providing the service.
Following the report, the mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Moedas, said that the accident was due to technical and not political causes.
"These preliminary conclusions are extremely worrying and are not just about technical issues, but also political ones," said the Greens, emphasising that they will take the matter to the Lisbon Municipal Assembly for discussion.
In the report, the GPIAAF recommends that Carris not reactivate Lisbon's lifts "without a reassessment by a specialised entity" and that the Institute for Mobility and Transport implement an appropriate regulatory framework.
RCS/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
