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Lisbon suspends service of historic funiculars after accident kills 15

A cable car from the emblematic Elevador da Glória, a major attraction widely used by tourists in the Portuguese capital, derailed and crashed into a building on Wednesday

Tereixa Constenla

Tereixa Constenla

Lisbon - Sep 04, 2025 - 09:51CEST

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Lisbon woke up Thursday still reeling from the tragedy that occurred a day earlier when a funicular known as the Elevador da Glória derailed, killing 15 people and injuring 23, including five in critical condition. The incident has led Lisbon authorities to suspend service on the historic funiculars, one of the city’s major tourist attractions. The Elevador began operating in 1885 and was electrified in the early 20th century. It transports nearly three million passengers a year, mostly tourists.CONTACTO vía Europa Press (CONTACTO vía Europa Press)

The derailment of one of Lisbon's most popular funiculars, the Elevador da Glória, has become one of the most tragic accidents recorded in the Portuguese capital in recent years. One of the fatalities is the father of a three-year-old child who was pulled out by a police officer. The mother has been hospitalized in critical condition. The family hails from Germany. Armando Franca (AP)

The accident occurred at 6:05 p.m. (local time) near Restauradores Square after a safety cable snapped, causing the vehicle to lose control and accelerate down the slope connecting the upper part of the city with the Baixa Pombalina district. The accident also affected a second cable car that was stopped at the beginning of the Gloria road with some passengers inside, and which was hit by the first.MIGUEL A. LOPES (EFE)

A witness to the accident told SIC Television that she saw the vehicle hurtling down the steep slope until it crashed into a building. “It hit the building with tremendous force and crumpled like a cardboard box. It didn't have any brakes,” the woman said. Armando Franca (AP)

This is not the first accident involving the Elevador da Glória. On May 7, 2018, another incident occurred due to a maintenance failure, although there were no casualties then. In August 2022, the public transit agency outsourced the maintenance service for the city's four funiculars (Glória, Santa Justa, Lavra and Bica) for €1 million after holding a public tender, which was won by the company MAIN. Workers had complained on several occasions about the “poor maintenance” of the Glória funicular, according to the newspaper Público.Armando Franca (AP)

The funicular connects the upper Bairro Alto with Restauradores Square in the lower part of Lisbon, very close to Avenida da Liberdade, which was closed off to traffic after the accident. The Elevador is widely used by tourists, who often form long lines to board one of the cars, with a capacity for 42 passengers.MIGUEL A. LOPES (EFE)

Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas (above) spoke to the media about the accident: "Lisbon is in mourning." In a statement, the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, expressed his “deep regret” and his sorrow for the ‘fatalities’ and “serious injuries.” In another statement, the office of Prime Minister Luís Montenegro announced that investigations would be carried out to clarify the causes of the accident. MIGUEL A. LOPES (EFE)

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