A communications method for a vehicle consist comprising a lead vehicle having a first and second antenna associated with a respective first and second transceiver and a remote vehicle having a third and fourth antenna associated with a respective third and fourth transceiver. The method further comprises transmitting an outbound message from the first transceiver via the first antenna or from the second transceiver via the second antenna, the outbound message comprising a plurality of message bytes, receiving the outbound message at the third and fourth antennas and associated third and fourth transceivers, determining correct bytes and error bytes in the outbound message as received at the third transceiver, determining correct bytes and error bytes in the outbound message as received at the fourth transceiver, and assembling a reconstructed message using correct bytes from the message received at the third transceiver and the fourth transceiver.