A control apparatus for an electric railcar that provides control so that when rotational speed of a motor decreases below a required value, torque of the motor will decrease at a required rate of change, a current limiter for limiting a torque current command "(A)Iqp" output from a current command arithmetic unit is provided to ensure that when the rotational speed of the motor decreases below the required value, the torque current command will be limited to a command value "(B)Iqp" smaller than that command value, and to ensure that a carrier frequency at which PWM signals are created when switching elements of the electric power converter are controlled by carrier generator is controlled to become lower than a carrier frequency existing when the rotational speed of the motor decreases below the required value.