Lisbon funicular crash linked to failures

An uncertified cable and maintenance failures caused the Lisbon
funicular crash that killed 16 on September 3, a preliminary report finds

GLÓRIA FUNICULAR

How does it operate?
Weight of one car going down hill helps pull other car up

Car going up
Pulley
Cable
Car going down

Overhead electric cables power cars
Track
Trench
Electric motors
On each axle, drive wheels
Primary braking system
Haulage cable
Runs in trench between tracks

REPORT KEY FINDINGS

CABLE: Cable that broke, causing crash, was defective and never certified for passenger transport. Purchased in 2022 by municipal operator Carris, it did not meet specifications, including steel grade, and was untested before installation

MAINTENANCE: Outsourced by Carris to private firm MNTC, was unsatisfactory. Inconsistencies in inspectors’ time sheets raise doubt that maintenance occurred on morning of disaster

BRAKE: Emergency brake, which driver attempted to apply when cable snapped, failed and had never been tested. When cable broke, safety system cut power to funicular, disabling pneumatic brake, while manual brake was too weak to stop car from crashing

LISBON
Location of car when cable snaps
Derailment
Collision
Restauradores Square
BAIRRO ALTO
Rua de São Pedro de Alcântara
Rossio Train Station
Calçada da Glória
65ft
20m
Descent after failure lasted around 20 seconds and speed reached some 50km/h before impact

Sources: Portugal’s Air and Rail Accident Investigations Bureau  (GPIAAF), Carris, BBC, AP
Picture: Google Earth
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