But with rope hauled inclines the problem doesn"t arise because (in the UK at least) Rope Haulage was banned for passenger railways in about the 1850s......
Well I remember being cable hauled from Llandudno to the top of the Great Orme in the 1960s. I think what you mean is that with rope/cable haulage there are independent means to stop the train in the event of a failure of the rope/cable.