To inform ongoing discussions at the U.S. federal, state, and local levels regarding public investments in rail and urban transit, the Worldwatch Institute analyzed global rail industry trends and profiled four countries—Germany, Spain, Japan, and China—that have made major commitments to public transportation and that offer important lessons for the United States. The report finds that at least half a million people in total are directly employed in rail vehicle manufacturing in these countries. The creation of strong rail manufacturing industries has depended to a significant degree on steady domestic markets for these products, driven by substantial and sustained investments in rail and transit infrastructure.