Open winding linear vernier permanent magnet (LVPM) motor has the advantages of high DC voltage utilization, high thrust density and low cost of construction and maintenance. It is very suitable for the construction of urban rail transit. However, when the traditional direct thrust control is adopted, the thrust and flux ripples of the motor are large, and the switching frequency of the power unit is unstable. Aiming at the above problems, the mathematical model of LVPM motor is analyzed, the direct thrust control strategy based on space vector pulse width modulation (SVPWM) is studied, and a target vector decoupling control strategy is proposed. The simulation results verify the correctness of the proposed method.