The new Glória elevator, in Lisbon, should be ready in the first half of 2029, with an international public design competition expected by the end of March 2027. The project, presented by Carris president Rui Lopo on August 31st, at the auditorium of the Order of Engineers, aims to guarantee "complete safety" through a new technological system. The new equipment will be a new installation and not a reconstruction, maintaining a configuration similar to the previous one, but using more resistant materials and abandoning the wood used in the original structure, while respecting the historic identity of the century-old equipment.
The tragedy of the Glória elevator is about to mark its first anniversary, having occurred on September 3, 2025. The accident caused 16 fatalities and 24 injured of various nationalities. Following the derailment, the Lisbon municipal executive announced the creation of a mission team to study a new technological system, with representatives from LNEC, the Order of Engineers and the Instituto Superior Técnico.
The Bureau for the Prevention and Investigation of Accidents with Aircraft and Railway Accidents (GPIAAF) stated that the final investigation report will not be completed in September, as planned, due to the complexity of the technical expert examinations, with publication now expected by the end of the first quarter of 2027. The preliminary report from October pointed out failures and omissions in the elevator's maintenance and lack of training for staff and supervision of work carried out by the service provider company. There is also an ongoing investigation by the Public Prosecutor's Office, which has already named three defendants, including the director of Carris.
Insurance company Fidelidade has so far assumed total costs of 2.3 million euros related to the accident, including four indemnities to families of victims. Carris has terminated all contracts with MNTC, the company responsible for maintaining the elevator when the accident occurred.
