HORROR: Lisbon Glória Cable Car Operator’s Desperate Brake Attempts Failed Three Times — The Shocking Truth Behind the System Collapse ❌

On the evening of September 3, 2025, at approximately 6:05 p.m. local time, Lisbon’s iconic Glória funicular, known as Elevador da Glória, became the scene of one of the city’s most devastating tragedies. The funicular, a historic cable railway connecting Restauradores Square with the vibrant Bairro Alto district, derailed catastrophically, killing at least 15 people and injuring 21 others, five critically. As investigations unfold, a chilling detail has emerged: the operator, André Jorge Gonçalves Marques, a dedicated brake guard, attempted to engage the brakes three times in a desperate bid to stop the runaway car, but all attempts failed. The shocking truth behind why the system collapsed has stunned investigators, revealing a cascade of failures that turned a routine journey into a nightmare.

A Descent into Disaster

The Glória funicular, a national monument since 2002, has been a beloved fixture in Lisbon since 1885, carrying around three million passengers annually up and down the steep Calçada da Glória. Its two yellow-and-white cars, each capable of holding 43 passengers, operate in tandem via a haulage cable powered by electric motors, with one car ascending as the other descends. On this fateful evening, during the evening rush hour, the descending car suddenly accelerated uncontrollably, derailed at a bend, and crashed into a building with “brutal force,” as described by eyewitness Teresa d’Avó to SIC Notícias. The impact left the car crumpled “like a cardboard box,” with debris and smoke filling the air.

Eyewitness accounts, including posts on X from user @OnDisasters, describe passengers screaming as the car hurtled down the 265-meter track. The second car, stationed at the bottom, jolted violently, prompting passengers to jump from its windows in panic. Among the deceased was Marques, a 15-year veteran of Carris, the municipal transport operator, whose final moments were marked by heroic but futile efforts to avert disaster.

The Operator’s Desperate Struggle

Preliminary findings from the investigation, led by Portugal’s Office for the Prevention and Investigation of Accidents in Civil Aviation and Rail, reveal that Marques attempted to engage the funicular’s brake system three times as the car began its uncontrolled descent. According to sources cited by The New York Times and CNN Portugal, data from the onboard monitoring system and physical evidence in the cockpit, including wear marks on the brake lever, confirm these attempts. Survivors reported hearing Marques shout “Hold on!” moments before the crash, a cry that underscored his awareness of the impending catastrophe.

The Glória funicular is equipped with multiple braking systems: an operational brake for normal use, an emergency brake, and a last-resort mechanical brake designed to grip the track. Shockingly, none of these systems engaged effectively. Investigators found that the brake mechanisms showed signs of severe wear, and the emergency brake may have been misaligned or disabled due to a critical system failure, details of which are only now coming to light.

The Shocking Truth: A Cascade of Failures

The investigation has uncovered a series of systemic issues that contributed to the collapse of the funicular’s safety mechanisms, leaving experts and the public stunned:

Cable Failure: Initial reports from the Lisbon Firefighters Regiment, cited by Observador, indicate that a loose or snapped traction cable was the primary trigger. The cable, critical for both propulsion and braking, appears to have lost tension, causing the car to free-fall. Workers had previously warned about issues with cable tension, as noted by Fectrans union leader Manuel Leal in an interview with RTP, but these concerns were allegedly overlooked.

Brake System Degradation: Analysis of the brake components revealed significant wear and inadequate maintenance. According to transportation engineering professor Maria Cardoso, quoted by CommsTrader, the simultaneous failure of three independent braking systems is “extraordinarily unusual” and points to either a design flaw or a lapse in maintenance. The emergency brake, designed to engage automatically in case of cable failure, was found to be inoperative, possibly due to corrosion or improper calibration during recent inspections.

Outsourced Maintenance Failures: Since 2011, Carris has outsourced maintenance to external contractors, with the latest contract awarded to MAIN – Maintenance Engineering in 2022. Reports from El País and transport unions suggest that outsourcing led to inconsistent maintenance quality. A 2018 derailment on the Glória line, caused by neglected wheel maintenance, had already raised red flags, but systemic reforms were not implemented. Workers reported that budget constraints and pressure to keep the funicular running during Lisbon’s tourism boom limited thorough inspections.

Aging Infrastructure Under Strain: The Glória funicular, built in 1885 and electrified in 1915, was not designed for the 21st-century demands of carrying 500,000 passengers annually, as noted by Archyde. The city’s tourism surge, with over 4.5 million visitors last year, has put unprecedented pressure on its historic transport systems. Experts argue that predictive maintenance technologies, such as IoT sensors for real-time monitoring of cable tension and brake performance, could have prevented the tragedy but were not implemented.

A City in Mourning

The human toll of the disaster is staggering. The 15 confirmed victims included five Portuguese nationals, two South Koreans, one Swiss, one American, one German, one Ukrainian, and one Canadian, reflecting the funicular’s international appeal. Among the 21 injured were a three-year-old German boy, whose father died, and his pregnant mother, who remains in critical condition. Emergency services, involving 62 rescuers and 22 vehicles, worked tirelessly to free survivors, with all victims transported to hospitals by 8:30 p.m. The operation was described as “heart-wrenching” by a firefighter quoted by Al Jazeera, with scenes of families torn apart bringing responders to tears.

Portugal observed a national day of mourning on September 4, 2025, while Lisbon declared three days of mourning. Prime Minister Luís Montenegro called the crash “one of the greatest human tragedies in our recent history,” vowing a swift investigation. Mayor Carlos Moedas described it as “a tragedy we’ve never seen,” and condolences came from global leaders like Ursula von der Leyen and Pedro Sánchez. A makeshift memorial of flowers and candles now adorns the crash site, reflecting the community’s grief.

Calls for Accountability

The revelation of multiple brake failures has intensified scrutiny of Carris and its maintenance practices. Despite the company’s claims of adhering to all protocols—general maintenance in 2022, interim repairs in 2024, and daily inspections—unions and experts argue that oversight was inadequate. The suspension of Lisbon’s other funicular lines (Bica, Lavra, and Graça) for safety checks underscores the urgency of addressing systemic issues. Public prosecutors and judicial police are investigating potential negligence, with initial findings expected soon.

A Wake-Up Call for Lisbon

The Glória funicular tragedy has exposed the vulnerabilities of Lisbon’s aging transport infrastructure, raising questions about how historic systems can safely accommodate modern demands. The operator’s three failed attempts to stop the car highlight a catastrophic breakdown in safety measures, leaving a city and its visitors in shock. As investigations continue, Lisbon faces the challenge of restoring public confidence while honoring the memory of those lost in this horrific disaster.

Sources: The New York Times, BBC, Observador, CNN Portugal, Al Jazeera, CommsTrader, Archyde, El País, @OnDisasters.