Lisbon, Sept. 12, 2025 (Lusa) - The mayor of Lisbon asked on Friday that "no hasty conclusions be drawn" about the causes of the Glória funicular accident, which killed 16 people, recalling that he had asked for an external investigation, which is currently underway.

"I just ask that no hasty conclusions be drawn, there has indeed been a change in the type of cable for six years, so this will have to be investigated, [to find out] why this happened," Carlos Moedas told reporters after the ceremony marking the 134th anniversary of the Lisbon Municipal Police.

Carlos Moedas recalled that he was "the first to open an external investigation immediately, and that investigation is underway".

"The data I've been presented with, the new data we've learnt, has to do with a change of a cable six years ago and, therefore, this shows the importance of the investigation," he stressed.

The Expresso newspaper reports today that "the choice of a cable with a “plastic rope core” [is] at the root of the accident" with the Glória Funicular.

The newspaper adds that "the use of a cable with a fibre core [is] pointed out as the cause by specialists from IST [Instituto Superior Técnico]. Oil in the chute could have compromised the brakes".

The Office for the Prevention and Investigation of Accidents involving Aircraft and Railway Accidents (GPIAAF), in its Information Note published last Saturday, revealed that the cable joining the two cabins of the Glória funicular "gave way at its point of attachment" to the carriage that derailed.

"From the study carried out on the wreckage at the site, it was immediately found that the cable joining the two cabins had given way at its point of attachment inside the upper trambolho [fitting piece] of cabin no. 1 (the one that started the journey at the top of Calçada da Glória)," says the agency's Information Note (NI), published on 6 September.

According to the investigation, "the rest of the cable" and the entire system, such as "the reversing wheel and the pulleys on which it travels, were lubricated and had no apparent anomalies", adding that "the cable on the upper section of cabin no. 2 [which was next to Praça dos Restauradores] also had no apparent anomalies".

Carlos Moedas said that over the last few days he has been focused on his mission, "which is to make decisions", noting that today there is already an alternative transport route to the Glória funicular, and that there will also be alternatives in Lavra and Bica.

"It was launched in full coordination with Carris, a group of the highest technicians and engineers in the country so that we could see this technological system, with the National Civil Engineering Laboratory, with the Order of Engineers and also with the Instituto Superior Técnico," recalled the Social Democrat.

Carlos Moedas also added that the current Carris management will answer "all the questions", emphasising, however, that what the Expresso report says is that a cable was changed six years ago and that this predates the management led by Pedro Bogas.

"Now we have to let the investigation run its course. But I don't want to jump to conclusions. It's very important to continue investigating. There's one thing I promise the people of Lisbon: we're going to investigate every last detail," he said.

The mayor recognised that decisions that are taken have an influence on the future and that "there was a decision six years ago, [which] may have had an impact".

"But we don't know, I don't want to speculate, and I'm not going to speculate (...). Now, Carris management is always available to answer, but it can answer from 2022; before that, this is not the management. But the point here is to find out, to let people know what happened, and I'll take it to the last consequences," he reiterated.

Also according to the GPIAAF's NI, the maintenance plan for Lisbon's Glória funicular "was up to date" and on the morning of the accident a scheduled visual inspection was carried out, which didn't detect any anomalies in the cable or braking systems of the two carriages.

The Glória funicular, managed by Carris (under the authority of the municipality), derailed on 3 September in an accident that left 16 dead and two dozen injured, including Portuguese and foreigners of various nationalities, and which is currently being investigated.

RCP/ADB // ADB.

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