The ransom in the new one is $10,000,000, not $5mil (which was the ransom in the '98 remake). But it's really just a ruse (used to pay the other gunmen). Ryder's real plan is to make a fortune short selling on Wall Street during the inevitable market panic.
Also, the side LED signs never actually say "Pelham 123", that was just for the TV ads. The "Roosevelt spur" was indeed a New York Central track, not a subway one, and there is no connection between the Lex and Coney Island (directly, any way). So there are more than a few places where they took liberties with technical reality. But over all, it kept quite a bit of the spirit of the' 74 original, while also feeling a lot like many other Tony Scott films. Over all, it was entertaining, and kinda cool.
rails > roads
On second thought, let's not go to the NJ Transit Rail forum, 'tis a silly place.