System, method and computer software code for obtaining information for routing a powered system and adjusting a route in accordance with relevant information

A system comprising:

• a subsystem comprising one or more processors configured to determine one or more destination locations of a rail vehicle traveling according to a trip plan, the trip plan dictating one or more routes the rail vehicle is to travel along during a trip to reach the one or more destination locations, the trip plan including one or more operational settings of the rail vehicle to reduce at least one of fuel consumed or emissions generated by the rail vehicle relative to traveling according to another, different plan other than the trip plan, the operational settings including at least one of propulsion commands or braking commands;
• wherein the subsystem is further configured to determine, when the rail vehicle is approaching a divergence point in the trip where the rail vehicle may change from travelling over the one or more routes dictated by the trip plan to travelling over a different route that diverges from the one or more routes dictated by the trip plan and is not included in the one or more routes dictated by the trip plan;
• and
• wherein the one or more processors of the subsystem is further configured to receive information about whether the rail vehicle will diverge from the one or more routes dictated by the trip plan and travel onto the different route that is not dictated by the trip plan, the subsystem also configured to modify the trip plan responsive to the rail vehicle leaving the one or more routes dictated by the trip plan and travelling onto the different route that diverges from the one or more routes dictated by the trip plan in order to reduce the at least one of fuel consumed or emissions generated by the rail vehicle as the rail vehicle travels along the different route to the one or more destination location relative to traveling along the along the second, different route relative to traveling according to another, different plan other than the trip plan that is modified.

A computer software code stored on a non-transitory computer readable media and executable with one or more processors for controlling a rail vehicle, the computer software code configured to direct the one or more processors to:

• operate the rail vehicle to travel in a trip based on a trip plan that dictates one or more routes the rail vehicle is to travel along during a trip to reach one or more destination locations, the trip plan dictates operational settings for the rail vehicle that reduce at least one of fuel consumed or emissions generated by the rail vehicle during the trip relative to the rail vehicle operating according to another, different plan other than the trip plan, the operational settings including at least one of propulsion commands or braking commands;
• identify, by the one or more processors, when the rail vehicle is approaching a divergence point in the trip where the rail vehicle may change from traveling over the one or more routes dictated by the trip plan to travelling over a different route that diverges from the one or more routes dictated by the trip plan and that is not included in the one or more routes dictated by the trip plan;
• the one or more processors receive information about whether the rail vehicle will diverge from the one or more routes dictated by the trip plan and travel onto the different route that is not dictated by the trip plan;
• and
• adjust, by the one or more processors, the trip plan responsive to the rail vehicle leaving the one or more routes dictated by the trip plan and travelling onto the different route that diverges from one or more routes dictated by the trip plan, the trip plan adjusted to direct the rail vehicle to travel to the one or more destination locations using at least the different route that diverges from the one or more routes previously dictated by the trip plan and to reduce the at least one of fuel consumed or emissions generated by the rail vehicle during travel along the different route to the destination location relative to travelling along the different route to the one or more destination locations according to another, different plan other than the trip plan that is adjusted.