Well technically this is playing on the Lopez Show right now but I've always heard this song in GTA: Vice City and always wondered what song this was. Now I know..
I was given the reason that Alstom was cheaper than Siemens. It makes the looks backwards. If you take a look at every other rail system around New York, their cars are being delivered with Siemens propulsion... The PA-5s, the ALP-46As ... It goes on.
From what I've heard, the will put the ALSTOM propulsion in the R188s and will eventually retrofit the R142A and R160B Siemens with ALSTOM as well. It sounds stupid but its the cost-effective option available.
The real Cannonball train refers to the super express train to Montauk that leaves on the Friday before a major holiday. That's Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day I believe. It only make its one stop in Jamaica before Montauk.