Complex sentence: In 1887 the cities of Elberfeld and Barmen formed a commission for the construction of an elevated railway or "Hochbahn", in 1894 they choose the system of engineer Eugen Langen from Cologne, and in 1896 the order was licenced by the city of Düsseldorf.
Split into simpler sentences: In 1887 the cities of Elberfeld and Barmen formed a commission for the construction of an elevated railway or "Hochbahn". In 1894 they chose the system of the engineer Eugen Langen of Cologne, and in 1896 the order was licensed by the City of Düsseldorf.