System and method for shunting detection

A method comprising:

• electrically injecting, with at least one application unit disposed on-board a vehicle system having at least one vehicle, at least one examination signal into first and second conductive tracks of a route being traveled by the vehicle system;
• monitoring, via at least one detection device disposed on-board the vehicle system, the at least one examination signal passing through a test loop in response to the at least one examination signal being injected into the conductive tracks;
• and
• identifying a failure of the vehicle system to adequately shunt electrical signals between the conductive tracks based upon the monitored at least one examination signal.

A system comprising:

• a non-transitory memory configured to store electronic signatures including at least one signature representative of a failure to shunt;
• and
• at least one processor programmed to operate, in response to instructions stored on the non-transitory memory, to:
• electrically inject, via at least one application unit disposed on-board a vehicle system having at least one vehicle, at least one examination signal into first and second conductive tracks of a route being traveled by the vehicle system;
• monitor, via at least one detection unit disposed on-board the vehicle system, the at least one examination signal passing through a test loop in response to the at least one examination signal being injected into the conductive tracks;
• and
• identify a failure of the vehicle system to adequately shunt electrical signals between the conductive tracks based upon correspondence of the monitored at least one examination signal to the at least one signature representative of the failure to shunt.