Patent ID: 8768544

Claim:
A system comprising: a first control module configured to be disposed on-board a first powered vehicle of a vehicle consist, the first control module configured to form control signals to coordinate tractive efforts provided by the vehicle consist; a second control module configured to be disposed on-board a second powered vehicle of the vehicle consist, the first and second powered vehicles mechanically coupled with each other by at least a third vehicle in the vehicle consist; an energy management module configured to be disposed on-board the second powered vehicle and configured to be communicatively coupled with the second control module, the energy management module configured to form control signals that are transmitted by the second control module to control the tractive efforts provided by the first powered vehicle and the second powered vehicle based on a trip profile associated with a trip of the vehicle consist while an operator of the vehicle consist is located on-board the first powered vehicle; and a control arbitration module configured to be communicatively coupled with the first and second control modules, the control arbitration module configured to determine which of the first and second control modules controls the tractive efforts provided by the vehicle consist, the control arbitration module configured to cause the second control module to control the tractive efforts provided by the vehicle consist when the vehicle consist is operating according to the trip profile, the control arbitration module also configured to switch control of the tractive efforts provided by the vehicle consist to the first control module responsive to the operator manually changing at least one of a throttle setting or a brake setting of the first powered vehicle.