Vehicle control system and method

A control system comprising:

• one or more processors configured to control operation of a vehicle system according to a first set of operating conditions while the vehicle system is moving along a route, the vehicle system comprising plural vehicles configured to move together along the route, wherein two or more vehicles of the vehicle system are each configured to contribute a predetermined amount of effort to control movement of the vehicle system to move along the route based on the first set of operating conditions, the effort being at least one of tractive effort or braking effort,
• the one or more processors configured to determine, while the vehicle system is moving along the route, forces between vehicles,
• based on forces between vehicles related to the predetermined amount of effort and the determined forces between vehicles, determine a revised amount of effort that each of the two or more vehicles of the vehicle system needs to contribute to propel the vehicle system and to control one or more performance variables of the plural vehicles,
• the one or more processors configured to change from controlling the vehicle system according to the first set of operating conditions to automatically control operation of the vehicle system according to a second set of operating conditions.

A method comprising:

• one or more of generating or receiving a first set of operating conditions for controlling operation of a vehicle system according to the first set of operating conditions before the vehicle system starts moving along a route, the vehicle system comprising plural vehicles, the first set of operating conditions specifying a predetermined amount of effort that each of two or more vehicles of the vehicle system is configured to contribute to propel the vehicle system to move along the route;
• determining, while the vehicle system is moving along the route, forces between vehicles;
• based on forces between vehicles related to the predetermined amount of effort and the determined forces between vehicles, determining a revised amount of effort that one or more vehicles of the vehicle system needs to contribute to propel the vehicle system to control one or more performance variables of the plural vehicles while the vehicle system is moving along the route;
• and
• changing from controlling the vehicle system according to the first set of operating conditions to automatically controlling operation of the vehicle system according to a second set of operating conditions.