Secure vehicle communication system

A vehicle communication method, comprising:

• receiving a security credential at a first communication device from an off-board device that plugs into a circuit connected with a wired pathway that extends through at least a first vehicle and a second vehicle of a vehicle system, the first communication device located onboard the first vehicle;
• communicating the security credential from the first communication device to a second communication device onboard the vehicle system via the wired pathway;
• and
• establishing a wireless network between the first communication device and the second communication device using the security credential that is shared via the wired pathway,
• wherein the first vehicle and the second vehicle are configured to selectively couple and decouple from each other, and
• wherein the security credential is received and the wireless network is established while the first vehicle and the second vehicle are mechanically coupled with each other directly or indirectly, and wherein the method further comprises:
• communicating one or more wireless signals between the first communication device and the second communication device via the wireless network that is established using the security credential after the first vehicle and the second vehicle are decoupled from each other.

A communication system, comprising:

• a first communication device configured to be disposed onboard a vehicle system and connected with a first wired pathway that extends through at least one vehicle of the vehicle system, the first communication device configured to receive a security credential from an off-board device that plugs into a circuit connected with the first wired pathway;
• and
• a second communication device configured to be disposed onboard the vehicle system and connect with the first wired pathway,
• the first communication device also configured to communicate the security credential to the second communication device via the first wired pathway or a second wired pathway,
• the first communication device and the second communication device configured to establish a wireless network between the first communication device and the second communication device using the security credential,
• wherein the at least one vehicle of the vehicle system includes a first vehicle and a second vehicle configured to selectively couple and physically separate from the vehicle system, and
• wherein the first communication device is configured to be disposed onboard the first vehicle and the second communication device is configured to be disposed onboard the second vehicle, and the first communication device and the second communication device are configured to continue communicating with each other via the wireless network subsequent to the first vehicle separating from the second vehicle, the first communication device is configured to receive a second vehicle geographic location of the second vehicle, compare the second vehicle geographic location to a first vehicle geographic location of the first vehicle, determine whether the first vehicle geographic location and the second vehicle geographic location are within a designated distance of each other, and establish the wireless network with the second communication device using the security credential responsive to determining that the first vehicle geographic location and the second vehicle geographic location are within the designated distance of each other.