How long does it take to read The Railway Children?
The Railway Children by E. Nesbit is 59,326 words long. At an average reading speed of 250 words per minute, it takes about 3 hours 57 minutes to read — a normal-length novel.
Reading time at your speed
Reading speed varies more than most people expect — the gap between a slow and a fast reader is more than double. Find your row, or take the reading speed test to get your real number first.
| Reading speed | Words per minute | Time to finish |
|---|---|---|
| Slowcareful reading, or reading in a second language | 150 wpm | 6 hours 36 minutes |
| Below averageunhurried, easily distracted, or a dense text | 200 wpm | 4 hours 57 minutes |
| Averagewhat most adults read at | 250 wpm | 3 hours 57 minutes |
| Fasta confident, practised reader | 325 wpm | 3 hours 3 minutes |
| Very fastskimming, or very familiar material | 400 wpm | 2 hours 28 minutes |
The language here is simple enough that most readers hit their normal speed, so these times tend to hold up well.
How long if you read a bit each day?
Almost nobody reads a novel in one sitting. Here is how The Railway Children breaks down at an average 250 wpm, depending on how much time you give it each day.
| Reading a day | Days to finish | That is |
|---|---|---|
| 10 minutes | 24 days | about 3 weeks |
| 15 minutes | 16 days | about 2 weeks |
| 30 minutes | 8 days | about a week |
| 60 minutes | 4 days | 4 days |
How long is each chapter?
The Railway Children has 14 chapters, averaging 4,238 words — about 17m each. The longest is Peter's coal-mine. at 21m; the shortest is Prisoners and captives. at 14m. Useful if you read a chapter a night.
Chapter times at 250 wpm.
Start The Railway Children today
Read it free online — no account needed. 14 chapters, tap any word to look it up, and a short quiz at the end.
Common questions
How long does it take to read The Railway Children?
The Railway Children is 59,326 words long. At an average adult reading speed of 250 words per minute that is about 3 hours 57 minutes. A slower reader at 150 wpm needs around 6 hours 36 minutes; a fast reader at 400 wpm finishes in roughly 2 hours 28 minutes.
How many words is The Railway Children?
The Railway Children is 59,326 words across 14 chapters, which is a normal-length novel. Of the 26 classics on readClassicly, 12 are longer and 13 are shorter.
Can I read The Railway Children in a day?
It is possible, but it would take most of a day. At 250 wpm The Railway Children runs to about 3 hours 57 minutes of continuous reading. Spread over 4 days at an hour a day it is far more comfortable.
Is The Railway Children hard to read?
At CEFR level A2-B1, The Railway Children is one of the friendlier classics, readable with elementary to intermediate English. You can read it free at readClassicly and tap any word you don't know to look it up, which keeps a harder classic from stalling you.
Reading a classic to learn English?
readClassicly has a free plan for English reading for beginners: graded classic stories with tap-to-define words, audio, and a short quiz after each one. Start at your level and build up to full books like this one. If you are just starting, begin with the short English stories for beginners.