Speed

LAPD SWAT bomb disposal officers Jack Traven and Harry Temple are tasked with preventing a bombing on a city elevator containing 13 people. After narrowly rescuing the passengers, the duo find and confront the bomber, during which Harry is shot by Jack after he is taken hostage. The bomber seemingly blows himself up, and Jack and Harry are later commended in a ceremony for their bravery. Some time later a city bus explodes in front of Jack in order to get his attention. It is revealed that the bomber from the elevator incident had survived. He is looking to get his revenge on Jack by planting another bomb on a second city bus full of passengers that will activate upon reaching 50 mph (80 km/h), and will detonate if the speed goes below 50. He warns Jack not to offload passengers or the bus will explode as he demands $3.7 million in ransom.
Racing through traffic, Jack commandeers a car to try to warn the bus driver of the bomb. Realizing the bus has surpassed 50 mph and the bomb is armed, Jack boards the bus, but a street thug, thinking that Jack is after him, pulls out a gun and threatens Jack. The thug's gun goes off as Jack and another passenger subdue him, with the bullet hitting the driver. Another passenger, Annie Porter, takes over driving. With the bomb armed and passengers aware of the threat, Jack contacts Harry for help while trying to keep the bus moving. The bomber agrees to allow the wounded driver to be offloaded as a sign of good faith. However, another passenger, Helen, panics and attempts to get off the bus, but the bomber, watching the bus on television news, detonates a smaller bomb that kills her as she falls under the bus.
Jack and Annie maneuver the bus through several dangerous obstacles, including a gap in the freeway, and direct it to the runways of Los Angeles International Airport to avoid traffic congestion. In an effort to defuse the bomb, Jack goes under the bus on a tethered roller bed, but the cable snaps. He is helped onboard by the passengers. In the process, he punctures the fuel tank and the bus starts leaking gasoline.
Meanwhile, Harry identifies the bomber as former Atlanta Police Department bomb-squad officer Howard Payne, who was forcibly retired after an accident. The bomb's design reflects his long-lasting bitterness over being compensated with nothing but a "cheap gold watch". Harry leads a SWAT team to Payne's house to arrest him. During the raid, Harry inadvertently triggers a booby trap that blows up the house, killing him and the rest of the team. Jack admits defeat until he notices that Payne is monitoring the bus interior with a hidden-surveillance camera. With the help of a television crew, the LAPD tamper with Payne's surveillance footage. This gives Jack enough time to help the passengers escape before the bus crashes into a cargo plane and explodes. While noticing the LAPD has dropped off the ransom and is waiting to apprehend him, Payne sees the tampered video feed and seeks revenge.
The SWAT team are waiting for Payne to appear, but Payne kidnaps Annie while impersonating a police officer. Jack discovers a hole under the trash can, where Payne has taken the ransom and accessed the subway system. Jack finds Annie wearing an explosive vest and Payne holding a pressure release detonator; after a confrontation between Payne and Jack, Payne escapes on a train with Annie handcuffed around a pole. Payne shoots the driver and train controls. He opens the duffel bag containing the money and a dye pack explodes in his face. An enraged Payne fights Jack on the train roof, only to be decapitated by a passing overhead signal when Jack pushes him to the roof of the tunnel. Jack deactivates Annie's vest, but finds that the train cannot be stopped and that he is unable to free Annie from her handcuffs. Jack instead accelerates the train, causing it to derail and crash onto Hollywood Boulevard, screeching to a halt in front of a tour van. Jack and Annie emerge unscathed and share a kiss as onlookers watch in amazement.