Lisbon, June 25, 2026 (Lusa) - The process of compensating victims of the Glória funicular accident in the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, is still ongoing, with some compensation already paid out and other payments “under negotiation”, the deputy mayor of the city council has revealed, without giving further details, describing the delay as “normal”.
“Compensation claims are being dealt with; some payments have already been made, whilst others are still – as is normal – under negotiation, because some citizens are asking for very different amounts – I won’t specify the figures – across a very wide range. This happens in all situations everywhere in the world,” said Gonçalo Reis (PSD) at the Lisbon city council’s public meeting, on Wednesday evening, after being questioned by PS councillors.
He emphasised that compensation is being awarded and that “it is normal for some cases not to have been finalised”, without specifying how many there are or the figures involved.
The incident in question is the derailment of the Glória funicular on 3 September, which left 16 people dead and more than 20 injured, including Portuguese nationals and foreigners of various nationalities.
Some 10 months after the accident, PS councillor Pedro Anastácio once again demanded answers from the PSD/CDS-PP/IL ruling coalition, led by Social Democrat Carlos Moedas, regarding the derailment, particularly concerning the audits aimed at a “thorough investigation” into the cause of the accident and the support provided to the victims and their families.
“These are explanations that are owed to the city and which are currently lacking,” stated the Socialist, arguing that honouring the memory of the victims requires “a rigorous, transparent and thorough investigation” into the accident.
Pedro Anastácio therefore reiterated his request for information on the audits commissioned, stating that an initial set of findings already exists, although “so far, these remain confidential”.
“How many victims have actually been compensated, or agreements reached?” asked the Socialist.
In response, the deputy mayor accused the PS of “continuing to exploit this tragedy for political gain” and assured that the city council is fulfilling its obligations regarding the payment of compensation, as well as in the audit process, which currently involves an internal audit by the municipal company Carris (responsible for the Glória funicular), and an external audit, commissioned from CATIM – the Centre for Technological Support to the Metalworking Industry.
“The audits are not secret; they are technical in nature and are currently underway […] Until the final reports are available, they remain in progress, and the council will analyse them technically first. That is how it is done,” said Gonçalo Reis, praising the competence, experience and credibility within the sector of Carris’s new management team, led by Rui Lopo.
Regarding the future technical solution for the Glória funicular, Carris is working on this so that it can be presented “in the coming months”, he added.
He also emphasised that, on the initiative of the PSD/CDS-PP/IL coalition, Carris’s management will meet with opposition councillors – PS, Livre, BE, PCP and Chega – on Friday, and with municipal councillors on Monday, to “explain with complete transparency” what it is doing.
“I will be there at the start, but I don’t want to stay for the whole time because I want you to speak freely with Carris’s management,” said Gonçalo Reis, seeking to put an end to the political exploitation of the tragedy.
Lamenting the lack of concrete data, the Socialist Pedro Anastácio considered that, “on an issue of this magnitude”, being unable to say how many people have already been compensated “demonstrates a very considerable lack of preparation”.
SSM/AYLS // AYLS
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