Complex sentence: The Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh Railway was independently sponsored to build along the north of the River Clyde; it opened in 1858, joining with an earlier local line serving Balloch.
Split into simpler sentences: The Glasgow, Dumbarton and Helensburgh Railway was independently sponsored to build along the north of the River Clyde. It opened in 1858, joining with an earlier local line serving Balloch.