Systems and methods for communicatively linking vehicles in a vehicle consist are provided. In one aspect, a lead vehicle can communicate a link command message to several remote vehicles. The link command message includes vehicle identifiers and/or a consist identifier. At the remote vehicles, if a vehicle identifier or a consist identifier stored onboard a remote vehicle matches the vehicle identifiers and/or consist identifier received in the link command message, the remote vehicle is communicatively linked with the lead vehicle to permit control of the remote vehicle by the lead vehicle. In another aspect, a vehicle identifier of the lead vehicle is stored onboard the remote vehicles. If the vehicle identifier stored on the remote vehicle matches a vehicle identifier received in the link command message, the remote vehicle is communicatively linked with the lead vehicle to permit control of the remote vehicle by the lead vehicle.