Lisbon’s funicular has been iconic for a very long time. It is one of the city’s most famous tourist attractions, having shuttled tens of millions of visitors and locals up the city’s steep streets since its opening in the 1800s. It has also allowed residents and tourists alike to eat ice cream at A Veneziana, watch films at Éden or grab a drink at Frágil.
However, after 140 years in service, disaster struck last week. On September 3, just after 6pm, a snapped cable caused one of the two yellow carriages to speed down the hill, crashing into a building at 37mph and tragically killing 16 people and injuring 20 more. During investigations into the incident, the funicular is closed until further notice. Until it reopens, here’s a bit of its history.
- It began operation on October 24, 1885.
- Designed by French engineer Raoul Mesnier du Ponsard, it initially used a water counterweight system, similar to one still used today in the Bom Jesus Elevator in the Portuguese city of Braga. Later, it switched to steam power and, in 1914, became electric, which it has remained ever since.
- The inside was lit by candles during nighttime until the end of the nineteenth century.
- The carriages once had two floors, with benches running along either wall. The upper floor was a kind of VIP area where passengers could enjoy the best views.
- Between 1913 and 1926, a cycling race was organised on Calçada da Glória, a very steep hill that the funiculars run through. Named the Subida à Glória, it was a time trial competition which included a 275-metre climb with an agonising gradient of 17 percent. It became known as ‘The Smallest Bicycle Race in the World’. The race was revived in 2013 and subsequently ran until September 22, 2018.
- In 1987, popular Portuguese band Rádio Macau released the album (and song) O Elevador da Glória. The album is an ode to the city, celebrating Lisbon’s busiest transportation system. The band sing: ‘From sad anonymity/ From the rabble and the scum/ To fame and stardom/ There is the lift of glory.’
- With the boom in tourism in Lisbon, the system now transports around 3 million passengers per year (up to 42 at a time in each lift), according to Lisbon City Council.
- In 2018, the Elevador da Glória was out of service for a month after a minor derailment. There were no casualties at the time and the derailment was blamed on a ‘technical anomaly’.
- In 2022, it was classified as a National Monument, joining the likes of the National Pantheon, a gorgeous seventeenth-century church; the Mosteiro de Alcobaça, an old monastery that is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site; and many more. The title is only awarded to buildings the government recognises as having particular cultural, historical or architectural value.
- The two carriages are connected by a motorised pulley system, each acting as a counterweight to the other. The funicular runs on rails, with one common line for both and an area where they split off.
- The safety system has three components: the pulley cable, responsible for moving the carriages; the braking system; and automatic brakes, which are only used in an emergency.
- Until the August 2025 accident, journeys began at 7am and ended at midnight, and tickets cost was €4.10.
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