The historic funiculars of Glória and Lavra in Lisbon have never been inspected by the National Railway Safety Authority (ANSF), unlike the elevators of Bica and Santa Justa, reports the Público today.
The Institute for Mobility and Transport (IMT), which oversees ANSF, stated that, according to legislation approved in 2020, it no longer has supervisory responsibilities for “cable transport systems” built before 1986 and classified as heritage.
A note from the State Secretariat for Mobility conveyed that until July 2020, national cable transport legislation excluded cable-driven electric vehicles, such as the Glória and Lavra elevators in Lisbon.
This legislation did, however, include the Santa Justa and Bica elevators, which are not considered electric cars.
From July 2020, with the new decree implementing an EU Regulation on cable installations, systems classified as historically, culturally, or patrimonially significant, and in service before January 1, 1986, without significant design or construction alterations, became excluded from the legislation.
“Examples of this in Lisbon are the elevators of Santa Justa, Bica, Lavra, and Glória,” classified by Decree 5/2022, dated February 19, the document explains.
According to the Government, the principle set by legislation is that entities operating cable installations for passenger transport (such as transport authorities) are responsible for ensuring the safety of the installations and passengers.
However, for the Santa Justa and Bica elevators, which were already supervised by IMT before the legal changes, IMT maintained continuous oversight.
Safety responsibility for the funiculars lies with Carris, and under a European Union directive, only the ANSF can ensure compliance with safety rules.
The historic funiculars of Glória and Lavra have never been inspected by the National Railway Safety Authority (ANSF), while the elevators of Bica and Santa Justa have, reports Público.
Lusa | 06:04 – 06/09/2025
The Glória Elevator, a major tourist attraction in central Lisbon, derailed on Wednesday in the most significant accident in its nearly 140-year history, resulting in 16 deaths and over 20 injuries.
The Government declared a day of national mourning on Thursday, while Lisbon City Hall declared three days of municipal mourning, from Thursday until today.
The Glória Elevator, comprising two electrically motorized and cable-synchronized cabins, is operated by Carris and connects the Restauradores with the São Pedro de Alcântara Garden in the Bairro Alto over a course of approximately 265 meters, attracting many tourists.
