Railway vehicle traction system

A typical traction system that does not have a storage battery device for a direct-current power unit of a main circuit cannot ensure exciting energy necessary upon activation of an induction generator. Thus, there is a problem that the typical traction system cannot use a small, inexpensive, and highly reliable induction generator as a power generator. A railway vehicle traction system includes an induction generator to be driven by an engine, a first power converter for converting alternating-current power output from the induction generator into direct-current power, a smoothing capacitor for smoothing the direct-current power output from the first power converter, a second power converter for converting the direct-current power output from the smoothing capacitor serving as a direct-current voltage source into alternating-current power and driving an electric motor, storage battery means for supplying power to an on-vehicle control device, and a contactor that is connected between the storage battery means and the smoothing capacitor. By closing the contactor, the smoothing capacitor is charged by the storage battery means, and whereby a current is supplied to the induction generator in order to start an operation of generating power using power charged in the smoothing capacitor.