In the paper,a cost-effective IoT solution is introduced,including device platforms,gateways,IoT networks,and platform servers,for smart railway infrastructure.Through concept validation and experimental research,the suitability of this solution for IoT-based maintenance is evaluated and demonstrated.In order to infer its potential and feasibility,this article proposes a network architecture for the IoT solution and evaluates the performance of candidate wireless access technologies in terms of power consumption and coverage range for transmitting IoT data through large-scale field tests of system-level implementation.By observing use cases in interdisciplinary approaches,the benefits brought by the IoT are identified.