It looks not very nice but there are more crude versions built with railway truck running up/down hill.
That may be crude, but railway technology is extremely reliable and long-lived. Even if that is less efficient, it might work better and last longer than 35 years.
Railcars last 25 to 50 years. Recently manufactured ones may last longer. Tracks have to be replaced periodically. I do not know how long they last with a system like this. It is a function of how much traffic they bear.