The Taking of Pelham One Two Three

Four men wearing similar disguises hijack the downtown 6 train Pelham 1-2-3, taking eighteen passengers and the conductor hostage in the front car. They establish radio contact with the New York City Transit Police as the crisis begins. The hijackers’ plan is set in motion, and the passengers realize they are in for a dangerous standoff.

Blue informs Garber that a $1 million ransom must be delivered within exactly one hour, or a hostage will be killed for every minute late. Green sneezes periodically, and Garber responds with 'Gesundheit' each time, underscoring the tense, ongoing negotiations. The clock is ticking as the standoff intensifies.

As the hijackers execute their plan, transit officials speculate that one of them is a former motorman capable of uncoupling the head car and moving the train. The conversations hint at hidden motives and potential escape routes. Officials begin focusing on the hijackers' backgrounds rather than a simple robbery.

Grey shoots transit supervisor Caz Dolowicz as he approaches the hijacked train from Grand Central, escalating the crisis. The killing demonstrates the hijackers' ruthlessness and complicates any chance of a peaceful resolution. Police and transit staff scramble to respond while maintaining contact with the hijackers.

The ransom money is transported uptown in a speeding police car but crashes well before reaching 28th Street. The constraint of the deadline tightens as investigators scramble to recover the missing cash and determine the hijackers' plans. The failed delivery heightens the tension aboard the train.

At the one-hour mark, Garber bluffs that the money has reached the station entrance and will be walked down the tunnel. A police motorcycle delivers the ransom by the tunnel, but a sniper shoots Brown as officers guard the cash, and the hijackers respond by killing the conductor.

The money is divided among Blue, Green, and Grey, and Blue orders the power to be restored, with signals set to green all the way to South Ferry and police cleared from stations along the route. The hijackers appear confident they can escape through the tunnel network. The tension shifts from hostage-taking to evading capture.

Green moves the train farther south, and Blue explains they want more distance from the police inside the tunnel. The hijackers override the dead man's switch, allowing the train to run without anyone actively at the controls. The runaway car begins to operate autonomously, complicating the manhunt outside.

The hijackers discard disguises and weapons and begin to exit the train as Garber and Inspector Daniels search above ground. An off-duty undercover officer hides between the rails, trying to stay hidden from the pursuit. The team struggles to determine where the hijackers have gone.

Garber and Daniels reach the street-level exit and confront Blue as the train speeds ahead with no one at the controls. Blue, facing capture, intentionally places his foot on the third rail and electrocutes himself. The immediate danger ends, but the mystery of the hijackers' identities remains.

The runaway train continues through the southbound tunnel until it reaches the South Ferry loop, where automatic safeties bring it to a halt. The hostages are bruised but safe, and the chaotic episode comes to a close. Investigators assess the aftermath and the apparent lack of a straightforward escape.

Garber and Patrone identify Harold Longman as a likely recently discharged motorman among the suspects. Longman attempts to bluff and resists accusation, while Garber vows to return with a warrant. As Longman sneezes, Garber again says 'Gesundheit,' hinting that the clue will resurface.