Lisbon public transport operator Carris will unveil a new plan on Monday to replace the historic Elevador da Glória funicular railway, with operations expected to resume at the end of 2029 following a deadly crash.
The municipal transport company announced that its strategy for the iconic site balances safety, engineering, public space, user experience, and heritage. Carris stated that the plan preserves the identity and historic relationship of the funicular with Lisbon and the steep Calçada da Glória corridor.
Under the new proposal, the street layout along Calçada da Glória will undergo restoration alongside the installation of completely new equipment. The funicular carriage that escaped damage during the crash on September 3, 2025, will not return to service on the line, according to weekly newspaper Nascer do Sol.
Fatal crash and criminal investigation
The September 2025 accident on the steep gradient killed 16 people and injured 24 others when a carriage lost control on the hillside. The disaster prompted an immediate suspension of service and a wider investigation into transport maintenance standards.
At least three defendants have been named in judicial proceedings seeking to establish criminal liability for the accident. According to newspaper Público, the suspects include Filipe Fraga, the former director of Electrical Mode Maintenance at Carris, and Gustavo Pita Soares, managing partner of elevator maintenance firm MNTC. The company MNTC itself has also been formally named as a defendant in the case.
Elevador da Glória is one of Lisbon's most famous historic transit links, operating as a cable-drawn funicular railway since 1885. Designated as a national monument, the line connects downtown Restauradores Square with the hilltop Bairro Alto district, carrying residents and visitors across its steep 275-meter route.
Insurance payouts and official investigation
The insurer handling claims from the crash has so far finalized compensations for only four families of the 16 fatal victims. Negotiations and claim settlements for the remaining victims and injured passengers remain ongoing as the legal process moves forward.
A comprehensive technical investigation into the mechanical failure is being conducted by the Gabinete de Prevenção e Investigação de Acidentes com Aeronaves e Ferroviários (GPIAAF), Portugal's aviation and railway accident prevention and investigation authority. The agency's final investigation report on the Glória funicular disaster is scheduled for publication by the end of March 2027.
