Unlike many action novels of the era that relied on super-spies or military hardware, Godey’s book was grounded in mundane, terrifying realism. The plot is brutally simple: Four armed men board a Manhattan-bound 6:23 AM express train, the "Pelham 123." Halfway through the tunnel, they separate the first car from the rest of the train, take 17 passengers and the motorman hostage, and demand a $1 million ransom (a massive sum in 1973) to be delivered within one hour. If the money is late, they start killing.
A group of four armed men hijacks a New York City subway car, decouples it from the rest of the train, and holds the passengers for ransom. They demand a large sum of money (adjusting for inflation across adaptations) to be delivered within one hour, or they will begin executing hostages every minute the payment is late. The tension centers on the verbal duel between the hijackers' leader and the official on the other end of the radio. Major Film Adaptations The Taking of Pelham 123
The Taking of Pelham 123 works as a tense, two-hander thriller when Washington and Travolta are talking. It fails when it tries to be a loud, explosive action film. Fans of the original will likely be frustrated; newcomers looking for a fast-paced, if forgettable, popcorn flick might enjoy it. Recommended for Denzel completists and those who like Tony Scott’s visual bombast—but temper expectations. Unlike many action novels of the era that
So, next time you board the express train, check the car number. If you see "123"… keep your head down and your eyes open. A group of four armed men hijacks a
As the train continued to move through the city, the hijackers began to make their demands known to the authorities. The MTA and the New York City Police Department (NYPD) quickly sprang into action, establishing a crisis team to negotiate with the hijackers.