Major Disruptions Hit Lisbon Metro on First Workday of 2025: What Happened?

Disruptions Across Lisbon Metro Lines

On the first workday of 2025, many commuters faced significant delays as three out of four metro lines in Lisbon experienced interruptions. The blue, yellow, and green lines were affected by technical issues, leading to frustration among passengers.

Causes of the Interruptions

According to the Metropolitano de Lisboa, the disruptions were due to a "misbraking" of a train at the Santa Apolónia station around 8:30 AM, causing a temporary halt in circulation. The company reported that this issue resulted in a delay of only three minutes, but full service was not restored until approximately 9:30 AM.

Tweet from Metropolitano de Lisboa: "Due to a train malfunction, circulation is interrupted. We hope to resume as soon as possible. #EstadoDasLinhas"

Later in the morning, at 9:52 AM, a "air leak in a train" at Quinta das Conchas station necessitated emergency intervention, leading to a power cut for safety reasons. This unexpected pneumatic failure was described as a rare and unpredictable event. Full service on the yellow line was only restored by around 1 PM.

Impact on Other Lines

The power cut also affected the green line, as these lines are interconnected at Campo Grande. The Metropolitano de Lisboa assured the public that maintenance is conducted regularly and thoroughly, emphasizing that while they strive for safety and quality, failures can still occur in complex systems.

Commitment to Improvement

The transport company is currently modernizing the signaling and control systems to prevent such issues in the future, aiming to enhance the reliability of the metro service for all users.