for the Oxford Branch, which ran from Rangiora to Oxford West station. A photo taken in about 1900 shows a station building located between the main line and the branch, at right angles to the current station. The branch was constructed to tap the timber and agricultural resources of the Oxford area, connected with the Eyreton Branch at Bennetts Junction and at Oxford West for the short Malvern Branch (as it was then known), which connected the Oxford Branch to Sheffield on the Midland Line. This line, known for its high road-rail bridge across the Waimakariri Gorge, was closed in 1931 after years of spasmodic use. The Eyreton Branch connection at Bennetts was also closed in 1931. The Oxford Branch itself closed in 1959, although the formation, several goods sheds (at Fernside and Springbank) and the former East Oxford Station (demolished in 1999) were left as reminders of the old railway. The original line ran down past the Plough Hotel on High Street; while there are no signs of this, the railway later ran down Blackett Street and so the street is noticeably wider than most streets as it had to accommodate both the railway and the street. In 2002, the Waimakariri District Council re-erected station nameboards along the line as memorials to the railway, including one at Bells, on the intersection of High Street and the Rangiora-Oxford Road. It was also noted in 2006 that the former Bennetts railway station had been acquired from its use as the Cust cricket pavilion for restoration at Oxford. Suburban trains ran between Christchurch and Rangiora between 1878 and 30 April 1976, when declining patronage caused New Zealand Railways to discontinue the service. The station has since been converted at various times into a garden centre, and more latterly, The Station Cafè. The building today comprises the former stationmaster's office, waiting rooms, and lobby; originally built in an L-shape, the station has lost the extension which formerly held the women's and men's toilets, and other offices. The railway yard has also been reduced in size with the closure of the Oxford Branch. The yard presently comprises the mainline and two loops, one of which is disused following a derailment which damaged the points at the northern end of the second loop. In 1945, the Main North Line railway from Christchurch to Picton was completed, passing through Rangiora. From 1945 until 2021, passenger services