The causes behind the derailment of the Glória funicular in Lisbon on Wednesday, September 3rd, are yet to be determined. Nevertheless, criticisms have emerged on social media, pointing to the lack of investment in Carris, the municipal company responsible for the elevator, which resulted in 16 fatalities and over 20 injuries.
Many users have revisited older reports on this issue. One of the widely shared news items is titled “Moedas withdraws 4 million euros from Carris and gives it to the Web Summit”.
Another report dates back to 2018, when the Glória elevator derailed and “no one spoke out”.
This report, initially published by the newspaper Público, is now being referenced by the French publication Le Figaro.
“Clearly, there has been negligence here”
According to the French newspaper, on May 7, 2018, the Glória elevator derailed without causing injuries. At the time, the information largely went unreported and was even “suppressed,” according to some users.
Público reported then that it was a “serious lack of maintenance,” which could have had severe consequences.
The funicular ceased operation for a month but resumed without any official communication about the incident from the company.
At the time of the first derailment, the newspaper noted, “What happened, however, reveals serious maintenance failures in the vehicle wheels, visible to the naked eye. The wheels of a rail vehicle have a flange, a lateral protrusion that allows them to be guided by the rail. To prevent the flange from wearing out, the wheels must be periodically turned to maintain this protrusion between the wheel and the rail.” Several witnesses claimed, “in the case of the Glória elevator, the wheel wear was nearly complete, causing the funicular to derail.”
António Carloto, from the APAC (Portuguese Association of Railway Friends), assured Público, “It derailed and this time there were no consequences. Next time might not be the same. Clearly, there has been negligence.”
Besides Carris, which never responded to Público’s inquiries on the matter, the Lisbon City Council, then led by Fernando Medina, and the subcontracted company responsible for Carris elevators’ maintenance chose not to respond.
Seven years after this derailment, a tragic accident occurred, leading to the loss of 16 lives and injuring over 20, some seriously.
It is now known that the “new maintenance contract for the Glória elevator was canceled in August due to cost” and that Carris workers have made “repeated complaints” about the need for elevator maintenance, including the Glória.
Nevertheless, the president of Carris, Pedro de Brito Bogas, has stated that the maintenance of the tram that derailed in Lisbon on Wednesday had been carried out “scrupulously.”
“The maintenance protocol was scrupulously followed,” revealed Brito Bogas, adding that the last general maintenance of the Glória elevator took place in 2022, occurring every four years, with weekly and monthly maintenance and daily inspections also conducted.
