Communication system and method for a rail vehicle consist

1. A method for communicating data in a rail vehicle consist, the method comprising:

at a first rail vehicle in the rail vehicle consist:

transmitting first data over a running rail to a second, different rail vehicle in the rail vehicle consist, wherein the running rail guides and supports the rail vehicles of the rail vehicle consist as the rail vehicles travel along the running rail;

monitoring, using one or more processors, the running rail for second data; and

receiving the second data over the running rail for use by a first system onboard the first rail vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising controlling at least one of tractive effort or braking effort provided by the first rail vehicle based on the received second data.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying a neutral section in the running rail between the first rail vehicle and the second rail vehicle that inhibits communication of the first data or the second data between the first rail vehicle and the second rail vehicle.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising switching to an auxiliary communication pathway when the neutral section is identified, the auxiliary communication pathway extending across the neutral section, and at least one of transmitting the first data or receiving the second data over the auxiliary communication pathway.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the transmitting step or the receiving step includes communicating the first data or the second data to convey sensor data obtained on the first rail vehicle or the second rail vehicle between the first and second rail vehicles.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmitting step includes transmitting the first data over the running rail by conveying the data through a wheel set of the first rail vehicle to the running rail.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmitting step includes concurrently transmitting the first data over the running rail and a power supply conductor to the second rail vehicle, and at least one rail vehicle of the rail vehicle consist receives direct electrical power from the power supply conductor.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the first data and the second data is high-bandwidth network data.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the transmitting step, the monitoring step, or the receiving step is performed by one or more processors.

10. A communication system for a rail vehicle in a rail vehicle consist, the system comprising:

an interface module configured to be electrically coupled to a running rail that guides and supports the rail vehicle in the consist as the consist travels along the running rail; and

a transceiver unit coupled to the interface module and configured to at least one of transmit data to or receive data from another, different rail vehicle in the rail vehicle consist over the running rail through the interface module.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the transceiver unit is configured to be coupled to a first system disposed on-board the rail vehicle that uses the data received over the running rail.

12. The system of claim 10 , further comprising a monitoring module coupled to the interface module, the monitoring module configured to identify a neutral section in the running rail that inhibits communication of the data over the running rail.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the transceiver unit is configured to switch to transmitting the data over an auxiliary communication pathway when the neutral section is identified in the running rail, the auxiliary communication pathway extending across the neutral section.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the transceiver unit is configured to transmit the data over the running rail and at least one additional communication pathway that extends between the rail vehicle and another, different rail vehicle in the rail vehicle consist.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the additional communication pathway is a power supply conductor that delivers electrical power to at least one rail vehicle in the consist.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein the interface module includes a wheel set of the rail vehicle that engages the running rail.

17. A communication system for a rail vehicle in a rail vehicle consist, the system comprising:

an interface module configured to be electrically coupled to a running rail that guides and supports the rail vehicle as the consist travels along the running rail;

a transceiver unit coupled to the interface module, the transceiver unit configured to communicate data over the running rail through the interface module; and

a monitoring module coupled to the transceiver unit, the monitoring module configured to monitor the running rail and determine a signal transmission characteristic of the running rail, wherein the transceiver unit switches from communicating the data over the running rail to communicating the data over an auxiliary communication pathway that extends across a neutral section of the running rail based on the signal transmission characteristic.

18. The communication system of claim 17 , wherein the auxiliary communication pathway is disposed on-board the rail vehicle consist.

19. The communication system of claim 17 , wherein the transceiver unit is configured to concurrently communicate the data over the running rail and the auxiliary communication pathway at least one of before or after switching based on the signal transmission characteristic.

20. The communication system of claim 17 , wherein the transceiver unit is configured to communicate the data through the running rail to another rail vehicle in the consist.