The memorial was inaugurated on Thursday morning at Largo da Oliveirinha, beside Calçada da Glória, where the historic funicular derailed on 3 September 2025.

Sixteen people died, and another 24 were injured in the accident. The victims came from 15 different countries and included five Portuguese citizens.

At the centre of the new memorial is a 150-year-old olive tree, surrounded by 16 limestone blocks representing each person who lost their life. The stones are different heights and have been prepared so the victims’ names can be engraved on them.

There is also lighting and a designated place where visitors can leave flowers.

Lisbon City Council said the site was designed as a place where people could stop, remember, and reflect on what happened.

The decision to create a permanent memorial was approved just five days after the accident.

A year without all the answers

The anniversary comes while questions surrounding the disaster remain unresolved.

The investigation into the derailment is still underway and a final report has yet to be published.

Compensation cases are also continuing. Carris's insurer Fidelidade said last week that it had so far covered or agreed to reimburse around €2.3 million in costs connected with the accident, including funeral expenses, repatriations, medical treatment, rehabilitation and lost earnings.

Agreements have been reached with four families of those who died. Seven other cases are still being negotiated, while others remain at different stages of the process.

The day before the anniversary, a group of victims and relatives published an open letter calling for better communication, greater transparency and clearer answers about responsibility for the accident.

They also asked for information about maintenance and inspections of the funicular, easier access to documents and a faster process for dealing with insurance claims.

Some said they had been forced to hire lawyers simply to obtain information.

Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas attended Thursday’s private ceremony alongside relatives of the victims and Patriarch of Lisbon Rui Valério.

Speaking afterward, Moedas described the anniversary as a very sad day for Lisbon and said the city had a duty to remember those who died. Asked about criticism from families, he said the council had been present throughout the past year and would continue to be.

Rui Valério blessed the olive tree and later celebrated a Mass for the victims at the Church of São Roque.

The Glória funicular, which opened in 1885 and became one of Lisbon’s most recognisable forms of transport, has not returned to service since the accident.

Carris is now planning a replacement system, with an international tender expected to be launched in early 2027 and the new Glória currently planned to enter service in 2029.

For the families gathered in Lisbon a year after the derailment, however, the anniversary comes before the investigation has provided its final answers.