Communication system for a rail vehicle and method for communicating with a rail vehicle

A communication system for a rail vehicle, the system comprising:

• a transceiver assembly configured to communicate a data signal over a plurality of communication channels;
• and
• one or more processors configured to switch the transceiver assembly to communicate over one or more of the communication channels, the one or more processors also configured to, while the rail vehicle is traveling in a first geographic zone, determine load parameters of communication channels available for communication in a different, second geographic zone that the rail vehicle is traveling toward but has not yet reached, the load parameters based on population values of the communication channels in the different, second geographic zone, wherein the one or more processors also are configured to select a selected channel of the communication channels available for communication in the different, second geographic zone based on the load parameter and to switch the transceiver assembly to the selected channel when the rail vehicle travels in the different, second geographic zone.