Lisbon Unveils Memorial for Funicular Victims, Service Still Halted

Lisbon on Thursday inaugurated a memorial to the 16 people who died in a funicular derailment a year ago, even as the iconic hillside streetcars remain out of service and questions persist over safety and accountability.

The memorial, placed near the crash site, features a 150-year-old olive tree at the center of a ring of limestone blocks engraved with the victims' names. Foreign ambassadors laid wreaths, and the Patriarch of Lisbon offered a blessing.

The accident, one of the Portuguese capital's worst in recent memory, has cast a shadow over its tourism boom. Eleven of the dead were foreigners, likely tourists who often queue for the popular yellow funicular. Lisbon drew about 10 million visitors last year, and Portugal as a whole receives around 30 million annually.

Service on the Gloria funicular remains suspended while the official investigation proceeds. Two other city funiculars are also out of service for inspections, though regular streetcars continue to run.

The anniversary has renewed attention to delays in determining the crash's causes and assigning blame. The accident also injured 24 people. A preliminary report last year cited the failure of a steel safety cable and maintenance flaws as contributing factors.

Carris, the municipal transport company, said it plans to open an international tender in the first quarter of next year to modernize the affected funicular, with a target return to service by 2029. Portugal's public prosecutor's office said it hopes to publish a final report by March on the causes and any criminal liability.

Families of the victims have complained of "a year of silence," saying they have received no updates from authorities, according to public broadcaster RTP.