Lisbon Transport Board Resigns After Deadly Funicular Crash

Published: 23 October 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online.

The board of Lisbon’s public transport company has resigned following a damning report on the Glória funicular crash that killed 16 people, including three Britons. The tragedy occurred when a cable snapped on the 140-year-old tram, causing a carriage to derail and collide with buildings and iron poles in the city’s historic centre.

On Monday, Portugal’s Aircraft and Railway Accident Prevention and Investigation Office released a preliminary report heavily criticising Carris, the operator of the funicular. Investigators revealed that the snapped cable did not comply with the company’s safety specifications, raising questions about oversight, staff training, and procurement procedures.

Two days after the report’s release, Carris chairman Pedro de Brito Bogas offered his resignation and that of the entire executive board to Lisbon mayor Carlos Moedas. The board will remain temporarily in place until a new team is appointed to manage the public transport company. Notably, Mr Bogas had initially offered to step down on the night of the September 3 crash, though his resignation was not accepted at that time.

Mayor Moedas expressed his gratitude to the outgoing board for what he described as their “professional and courageous performance during the tragic sequence of the Glória accident.” Nevertheless, the preliminary report outlined a series of failings at Carris that contributed to the disaster.

Investigators found that the cable, which failed, was “not certified for use in passenger transport facilities,” and blamed the accident on Carris’s lack of oversight and inadequate staff training. The report highlighted systemic flaws in the company’s procurement process, noting that internal organisational controls were “insufficient or inadequate to prevent” unsafe materials from being installed.

When the type of cable that caused the crash was first installed in December 2022, operators and inspectors noted unusual handling behaviour due to its synthetic fibre core, which was more flexible and easier to manipulate than the traditional cable. Under the weight of the carriages, the cable stretched significantly, requiring a 4.5-metre-long section to be cut to maintain proper alignment of the tramcars.

The investigation found that tramway staff were not adequately trained to recognise that the cable did not meet the required specifications. Carris’s engineering department assumed the cable corresponded to an approved alternative and did not suspect it was unsafe. Over time, the cable frayed progressively, yet this deterioration was not identified during regular inspections, leaving the system vulnerable to catastrophic failure.

The Glória tram crash has reignited scrutiny of Lisbon’s public transport safety, raising questions about the city’s ability to manage its historic transit infrastructure. Critics argue that while the funicular is an iconic part of Lisbon’s urban landscape, ongoing maintenance and staff training must meet the highest safety standards to prevent future tragedies.

Mayor Moedas, representing the centre-right PSD party, was recently re-elected despite criticisms over the city’s transport failures. He faces the delicate task of restoring public confidence while overseeing the transition to a new Carris leadership team tasked with implementing safety reforms and ensuring rigorous inspection procedures.

Authorities have vowed to continue their investigation into the crash and to enforce measures that prevent similar accidents. The Glória funicular disaster stands as a stark reminder of the importance of strict safety standards, thorough training, and accountability in public transport operations, particularly for historic and heavily used systems.

Families of the victims and local residents continue to mourn the loss of life, while officials promise that lessons from the tragedy will lead to stronger oversight, better staff training, and improved inspection protocols across Lisbon’s transport network.