Four families who lost relatives in the deadly Lisbon funicular crash are set to receive compensation as part of a €2.3million payout package.
Nearly a year after the Lisbon Glória funicular tragedy, Fidelidade, the insurance company responsible for covering the incident, has confirmed it will allocate the funds to compensation and related support for some of the victims’ relatives.
The payment covers a range of expenses linked to the disaster, including funeral and repatriation costs, medical care, hospital treatment, surgery, rehabilitation, travel and lost income.
The Lisbon-based insurer said agreements have so far been reached with four of the 16 bereaved families, while settlement talks are continuing in seven further cases.
Of the remaining claims, one is being handled under workplace accident laws, and another has moved through the courts after those involved failed to accept Fidelidade’s proposed settlement.
In the remaining cases, it is understood proposals are still at a preparation stage due to the insurer awaiting documentation and determining the varying legal requirements of the countries involved.
Final compensation for injured parties can also not be determined until the medical conditions of victims have stabilised and any lasting consequences can be examined, according to Fidelidade.
News of the settlement comes as it was confirmed the final technical report into what caused the crash will now be delayed until March 2027.
Four of the 16 families of those killed in the Lisbon funicular crash will receive a pay-out totalling €2.3million
A drone view shows the site of the accident
Fidelidade – the insurer covering the accident – has confirmed it will commit the sum toward compensation, including funeral and repatriation costs, medical treatment, hospital stays, surgery, rehabilitation, transport and loss of earnings
The final technical report into what caused the crash will now be delayed until March 2027 (Pictured: Emergency teams at the site of the derailed streetcar)
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According to the GPIAAF – Portugal’s rail and aviation accident investigation authority – the delay is due to the complexities of the technical exams required to complete the report.
There are no vehicles comparable to the Glória and Lavra funiculars worldwide, with investigators also having little technical documentation on how its systems are designed and how they function.
Chemical and physical tests are underway on the cable and its fixings, which includes an analysis of the metals and a cross-examination of the cable in use during the accident with those specified in the original technical requirements.
The braking systems of the carriages belonging to the two damaged vehicles will also be tested by investigators.
The technical examinations will be conducted with experts from the Public Prosecutor’s criminal investigation and will be conducted consecutively.
The work is expected to reach completion by the end of November; however, investigators must examine the findings before preparing a draft report and giving the relevant organisations a chance to respond.
Sixteen people died and 24 were injured when the historic Glória funicular derailed on September 3, 2025.
Three British nationals were among those who were killed, including a man in his 80s, a man in his 40s and a woman in her 30s.
A police statement following the incident confirmed the nationalities of others who died in the crash. They included five Portuguese, two South Koreans, one Swiss, two Canadians, one Ukrainian, one American and one French national.
The tragedy occurred after the descending yellow streetcar veered off a steep stretch of tracks near Liberty Avenue.
Eyewitnesses told local media that the carriage coursed down the hill, apparently out of control, before crashing into a building on Rua da Gloria, not far from the Restauradores Square.
Footage from the site showed the tram, which carries people up and down a hillside in the Portuguese capital, practically destroyed and emergency workers pulling people out of the mangled vehicle.