Vehicle control system and method

A vehicle control system comprising:

• a controller configured to determine a speed of a vehicle, a route grade, a payload weight, and an accelerator pedal position, wherein the controller is configured to identify a maximum deceleration rate of the vehicle based on the route grade, the payload weight, and the accelerator pedal position;
• and
• wherein the controller also is configured to automatically slow or stop movement of the vehicle by automatically actuating a brake of the vehicle responsive to the maximum deceleration rate of the vehicle being identified and an operational speed of a traction motor provided on the vehicle exceeding a designated, non-zero speed threshold.