The Guindais Cable Car in Porto has been closed indefinitely due to the certification process.

One of Porto's best-known tourist attractions has been closed indefinitely during the peak summer season as its operator completes the certification renewal process with the Portuguese transport authority. The Guindais funicular, which connects the riverside region of Ribeira to Batalha, was taken out of service on Saturday, following what its operator, STCP Serviços, described as a precautionary decision taken during the certification renewal by the Institute of Transport and Mobility (IMT). In a statement to Lusa, the company said the temporary closure was part of a routine certification process and was not due to any immediate safety concerns. "This is a preventive measure taken within the framework of a normal certification procedure," the operator said, adding that the aim is to ensure the reopening of the funicular line "with all the guarantees required by the competent authorities". The certification process follows an extraordinary safety audit commissioned by STCP Serviços at the end of 2025, following the tragic accident on the Glória Cable Car in Lisbon, in which 16 people lost their lives. According to the company's statement, the inspection did not detect any problems that would prevent the safe operation of the Guindais Cable Car. Instead, it put forward a series of improvement suggestions, most of which have already been implemented. The remaining measures are being evaluated by STCP Serviços, maintenance company Liftech and IMT as part of the certification renewal process. No reopening date STCP Serviços stated that he could not say when the service would restart, although the timeline is expected to be clarified in the meetings to be held in the coming days. This closure comes just a few months after the cable car reopened following a separate maintenance program between November 2023 and April 2024, during which its cabins were renovated. Originally opened in 1891, the Guindais Cable Car stopped operating just two years later following an accident, but was later rebuilt and returned to service in its current form in 2004. Michael Bruxo