Other mistake: When Regina first speaks into the mic, she doesn't press the button so they shouldn't be able to hear her. (00:11:50)
Revealing mistake: When the bald guy robber first takes out his gun and begin shooting at the ceiling, it's obvious that he shooting blanks as when they pull back the shot, there is not one bullet hole in the ceiling anywhere along the subway car. (00:12:00)
Revealing mistake: Just as the train with the mayor starts moving, the film crew is reflected in the windows. (00:19:00)
Continuity mistake: Ryder says "call me Ryder. With a y" camera cuts instantly and Garber already has it written down and rewritten over. (00:22:35)
Continuity mistake: When Garber hands the hostage negotiator the page with his notes, the way Ryder is written changes. (00:24:40)
Continuity mistake: The money car gets hit by an ambulance on its way to the drop and rolls over. The light bar on top breaks off. It reappears when the car falls off the bridge. (00:59:10)
Continuity mistake: When Ryder first walks into view over the Internet feed from the laptop, he is wearing a greyish T-shirt (most likely short-sleeved as well). In the next shot, still on the feed, he's wearing a black leather jacket, the same one we see him wear since the beginning. (01:01:20)
Continuity mistake: When the police on the motorcycles are delivering the money bags, there are 4 of them. When they're walking through the Waldorf Hotel they only have three bags. With watching the hostages they wouldn't have time to consolidate the bags. (01:04:00 - 01:29:00)
Suggested correction: Garber was carrying the 4th bag when they got out of the metro car. That's when he retrieves the gun as well. He dropped it right after he splits up from the rest by hiding behind the passing train.
Continuity mistake: When Garber is on the phone to Therese, the people outside Therese's window are constantly changing between standing and sitting during instant cuts. (01:05:10)
Continuity mistake: When Ryder gets Garber to sit down in the cab, there is a bullet hole in front of Garber, when the train moves, the bullet hole is gone. (01:12:00)
Suggested correction: The bullet hole in the window was not directly in front of Garber. Ramos was shot through the window when he was sitting on the left side, the driver's side is on the right. When Garber sits down in the driver's seat he's at an angle when the bullet hole comes into focus. All other shots of Garber without the bullet hole are showing him straight on where the bullet hole cannot be seen.
Continuity mistake: When the train rushes through the first station, we see the slipstream take a load of paperwork and pass the station, camera cuts and they are just going past the station again. (01:17:45)
Other mistake: The young man's computer is discovered and then powers off because it was at 0% battery life. Just after the scene where Garber separates himself from the Ryder and his crew, the man reopens his computer, with it immediately reconnecting to the internet chat with his girlfriend. Obviously, there is no way that the computer would have powered back on without being recharged, let alone reconnecting to the internet and picking up at the exact place where it left off. (01:25:35)
Factual error: In the street shootout scene, the two bad guys are surrounded by police officers, the police engage them, which created a crossfire situation. Police officers are trained to be aware of what's down range or what's behind the target they are engaging. The shootout wouldn't have occurred in this manner as they were trapped - the officer with the clearest shot would have engaged them. (01:32:00)
Other mistake: When the man is saying the train will stop when it hits a red signal, the child immediately says that they're all green. From where this child is sitting with his mother, and with how short he is, there is no way he could have seen the signal lights. (01:51:00)
Continuity mistake: When they give Garber the pistol to take, it has actually changed when he pulls it out of the bag, it's an entirely different pistol.
Other mistake: While a sniper is awaiting permission to shoot, a rat crawls up his leg and bites him, resulting in an accidental discharge. A trained shooter, much less SWAT sniper, knows that you never place your finger on the trigger until you are prepared to shoot. Otherwise, you could have an accidental discharge.
Revealing mistake: After Garber shoots Ryder, he is told by the approaching policemen to "drop your weapon". At which point the camera pans to a shot behind Garber where he is holding the gun in his right hand and proceeds to drop it. Watch the bottom of the screen and you will see Garber catch the falling gun with his left hand.
Factual error: When Pelham 123 gets split in two (as in it's uncoupled from the rest of its train), they do so from a control panel from the inside of the car above the seats. Subway cars, like all rail cars, can only be split manually through a lever near the coupler, not through a control panel. In addition, subway cars have ropes between cars, which must be taken down before cars are split. Otherwise they will still stay connected.
Other mistake: When they give Garber the pistol to take, the cop shows him how to operate the safety. He releases the safety and says it is safe, then puts it on safe and says it is ready to shoot.
Continuity mistake: Towards the end of the movie when the single train car is rushing down the Coney Island bound F line, you see different camera shots of the train above ground. One of the shots shows the train speeding past Shea Stadium, which is actually located in Queens on the 7 line.
