Method for operating a railway vehicle

The method involves driving each axis by an electric motor (6) which is fed by a traction converter (8) provided with an input power converter (10) for generating a direct current voltage. An intermediate circuit (12) is electrically connected to a motor inverter (14) for detecting the engine temperature on the basis of critical operating parameter. A motor-friendly operation mode of the traction converter is introduced based upon detection of engine temperature, so that the heat generation in the motor is reduced with respect to a normal operation, and the motor torque is received. An independent claim is included for control device for controlling operation of rail vehicle.