What to know about Lisbon’s funiculars after deadly incident in Portugal

Police and firefighters work on the site of the Gloria funicular railway accident in Lisbon, on September 3, 2025. Photo / Patricia de Melo Moreira, AFP

At least 15 people were killed and 18 injured when a funicular in Lisbon derailed today and smashed into a building.

Here’s what to know about Lisbon’s funiculars.

The funiculars are tram-like lifts with cables running on rails up and down a steep slope.

They are a popular tourist destination in the city and a way of sightseeing through it. Locals use them for getting around. They are a well-known symbol of Portugal’s capital.

The incident involved the Ascensor da Gloria, as it is known in Portugal.

The Gloria route stretches over 850ft (260m) up a steep hill and takes about three minutes to traverse.

It is one of three funiculars in Lisbon, linking the city’s downtown with the Bairro Alto neighbourhood for panoramic views.

The lift was opened in 1885 and was electrified in 1915.

It can carry about 40 people. Its two carriages - one going up, the other down - are attached to a haulage cable.

Carris is the public transit company that runs Lisbon’s funiculars.

It announced today that all three routes, plus one other tourist attraction, the Santa Justa Lift, would be temporarily closed.

A similar incident occurred on May 7, 2018, when one of the trams popped off the rails onto the footpath. Nobody was injured during that incident.

The funiculars carry more than 3.5 million people a year.

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