In a tragic incident in Lisbon, Portugal, a fatal accident involving the famed funicular railway claimed the lives of 16 individuals and left at least 20 others injured. The accident, which occurred on Calçada da Glória’s funicular railway, was determined to have been caused by a faulty wire, according to a preliminary report from the Gabinete de Prevenção e Investigação de Acidentes com Aeronaves e de Acidentes Ferroviários (GPIAAF).
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The investigation revealed that the driver of the vehicle made efforts to prevent the collision as the streetcar hurtled down the hill. The root cause of the accident was identified as the haulage cable that connected the two cabins, with a rupture occurring inside cabin no.1’s upper trolley cable swivel, just centimetres away from its termination. The haulage cable was found to not meet the specifications set by Portugal’s transit authority.
The GPIAAF report highlighted that the maintenance programme for the vehicle had several instances where “non-existent, inapplicable, or outdated standards” were utilised. The accident took place at approximately 6:04 p.m. local time on September 3 and involved a streetcar that had been operational since 1914. The funicular railway system utilises an underground connecting cable between two passenger cabins, with a unique trolley, known as “trambolho” in Portuguese, attached to each cabin.
During the incident, the vehicle derailed about 170 meters from its starting point, veering off course at the beginning of a right-hand curve due to its speed. The cabin lost control and collided with various structures including a building wall, streetlight poles, and the funicular’s overhead electrical network. The collision was estimated to have occurred at a speed of around 37 mph.
Among the victims of the tragic accident were individuals from various nationalities, including Portuguese, British, South Korean, Canadian, Swiss, Ukrainian, American, and French residents. The funicular railway, known as Glória, has been a popular tourist attraction, offering scenic views of Lisbon. The day of the accident marked a national day of mourning in Portugal as the country grappled with the loss of lives in this devastating event.
As the investigation continues into the circumstances surrounding the accident, authorities are looking into additional safety measures and protocols that can be implemented to prevent such tragedies in the future. The community mourns the lives lost and stands in solidarity with those affected by this heartbreaking incident.