Over the past twelve months, the rail industry has welcomed a wealth of innovation and change, and inevitably, deep challenges.

This special edition opens by underlining just how important urban rail services are for a community, exploring the economic and social challenges an area faces once a rail connection disappears from it.

Earlier this year, a new milestone was reached: the world's automated metro systems surpassed the 1,000km mark. We mapped out the top systems across the globe. 

We also tackled some of the technological wonders across the sector, from cargo tracking to VR in train station design, as well as the best apps to help passengers improve their journey.

Finally, we looked at the increasing popularity high-speed services enjoy by reviewing the key international routes on which rail takes over the air traffic due to its speed, price and convenience. These, and many more, can be read in our round-up issue of this year's biggest rail stories.

Read on for all this and ­­­­join the conversation on Twitter.

Eva Grey, editor