Complex sentence: From the outset in 1888 electric traction was chosen due to the possibility of sparks from the burning coal of steam power igniting the cargoes in close proximity to the railway, and the railway was the world's first urban railway designed for electric traction from the outset.
Split into simpler sentences: From the outset in 1888 electric traction was chosen due to the possibility of sparks from the burning coal of steam power igniting the cargoes in close proximity to the railway. The railway was the world's first urban railway designed for electric traction from the outset.