Izaskun Bilbao Barandica kicks off our cover story by arguing that "Europe needs to turn its transport system into a global benchmark". She outlines the challenges facing the fourth railway package and stresses the key role that member states could play in implementing a single European railway area. At the moment, "eight billion journeys are made by train" each year in Europe, but if our railway system is allocated the right resources and with more cooperation between the member states, this amount could increase. Find out why "rail has potential like no other mode of transport" and how it could greatly benefit both the environment and the economy.