Vehicle control system

A method comprising:

• monitoring ambient conditions within an airflow restricted area along a route traveled by a vehicle system as the vehicle system at least one of approaches or enters the airflow restricted area, the vehicle system including a lead propulsion vehicle and a trail propulsion vehicle;
• determining a first upper limit on power that the trail propulsion vehicle can generate within the airflow restricted area based on the ambient conditions and a first power output generated by the lead propulsion vehicle;
• determining a different, second upper limit on power that the trail propulsion vehicle can generate within the airflow restricted area based on the ambient conditions and a second power output generated by the lead propulsion vehicle, the second power output generated by the lead propulsion vehicle being less than the first power output;
• determining a first total power output of the vehicle system based on the first power output of the lead propulsion vehicle and the first upper limit of the trail propulsion vehicle;
• determining a different, second total power output of the vehicle system based on the second power output of the lead propulsion vehicle and the second upper limit of the trail propulsion vehicle;
• directing the lead propulsion vehicle to generate the first power output or the second power output during travel within the airflow restricted area based on the first total power output and the second total power output.

A control system comprising:

• one or more processors configured to be communicatively connected to one or more sensors and to receive data parameters representative of ambient conditions within an airflow restricted area from the one or more sensors, the one or more processors configured to determine a first upper limit on power that a trail propulsion vehicle of a vehicle system can generate within the airflow restricted area based on the ambient conditions and a first power output generated by a lead propulsion vehicle of the vehicle system,
• the one or more processors also configured to determine a second upper limit on the power that the trail propulsion vehicle can generate within the airflow restricted area based on the ambient conditions and a second power output generated by the lead propulsion vehicle, the second power output of the lead propulsion vehicle being smaller than the first power output of the lead propulsion vehicle,
• wherein the one or more processors are configured to direct the lead propulsion vehicle to generate the second power output within the airflow restricted area responsive to determining that a first total available power output of the vehicle system within the airflow restricted area with the lead propulsion vehicle generating the second power output exceeds a second total available power output of the vehicle system with the lead propulsion vehicle generating the first power output.