A toy with the United Kingdom flag is placed among the flowers of a tribute to those that perished in the Gloria funicular, a tourist streetcar that derailed and crashed, in Lisbon, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)
A person that wished to remain anonymous, places a painting showing a funicular with one driver and fifteen passengers, by the downtown stop of the Gloria funicular, a tourist streetcar that derailed and crashed, in Lisbon, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)
Lisbon postcards are placed among the flowers of a tribute to those that perished in the Gloria funicular, a tourist streetcar that derailed and crashed, in Lisbon, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)
Sixteen small plush toys are hung on the barriers blocking access to the downtown stop of the Gloria funicular, a tourist streetcar that derailed and crashed, in Lisbon, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)
An elderly woman places a bouquet of flowers at a tribute to those that perished in the Gloria funicular, a tourist streetcar that derailed and crashed, in Lisbon, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)
Report on deadly Portugal streetcar derailment describes failure of cable connecting cabins
LISBON, Portugal (AP) 鈥 The first investigative report on the deadly derailment of a popular Portugal streetcar said Saturday that a cable connecting the two cabins essentially snapped.
A toy with the United Kingdom flag is placed among the flowers of a tribute to those that perished in the Gloria funicular, a tourist streetcar that derailed and crashed, in Lisbon, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)
LISBON, Portugal (AP) 鈥 The first investigative report on the deadly derailment of a popular Portugal streetcar said Saturday that a cable connecting the two cabins essentially snapped.
Wednesday’s crash left 16 dead and injured 21 others. Officials called it in recent memory.
The report by the Office for Air and Rail Accident Investigations released Saturday said the two cabins had traveled not more than about 6 meters (20 feet) when they suddenly lost the balancing force provided by the connecting cable, the report said.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
The yellow and white streetcar has been part of the city鈥檚 identity since the turn of the last century, when the first electric cars entered service in 1901. (Sept. 6, 2025)
AP video and production by Hernan Munoz
The yellow-and-white streetcar is known as Elevador da Gloria and goes up and down a steep downtown hill. The cabin at the top sped downward.
鈥淭he cabin鈥檚 brakeman immediately applied the pneumatic brake and the hand brake to try to halt the movement,鈥 the report said. “These actions had no effect in stopping or reducing the cabin鈥檚 speed, and it continued accelerating down the slope.鈥
Examining the wreckage at the site, it was 鈥渋mmediately clear that the connecting cable had given way鈥 at the attachment point to the cabin that was at the top of the hill, the report said.
The streetcar, technically called a funicular, is harnessed by steel cables, with the descending car helping with its weight to pull up the other one. It can carry more than 40 people, seated and standing.
The exact number of passengers in each vehicle at the time has not yet been determined, the report said.
The streetcar that crashed had been in use since 1914.
Locals and tourists on Friday placed tributes near the site of the deadly derailment of a streetcar in Portugal鈥檚 capital that killed 16 people and injured 21 others Wednesday. (Sept. 6, 2025)
Hernan Munoz / AP Video
A final report containing the facts, analysis and conclusions regarding the causes of the accident is expected to be published later. If a final report isn’t possible within one year, an interim report will be published.
