SIX striking new visions of the multi-million-pound overhaul of Oxford Rail Station have been unveiled as part of a public competition.

The designs will be on display tomorrow and Saturday in Oxford Castle Quarter and in the Central Library at the Westgate Centre from Monday.

Today, the Oxford Mail can reveal the images that have been put forward, which will be judged by both the public and a panel of experts.

They have each been submitted by architects described as “world class” by project partners Oxford City Council, Oxfordshire County Council and Network Rail.

More information and pictures will be on show at the exhibitions.

The public will be asked to choose their favourite design, with a panel of judges separately choosing their top three, but project leaders stressed no single winner would be taken forward at this stage.

Ian Hudspeth, leader of the county council, said: “This is about deciding whether we are just going to get a station with a ticket hall or something that we can really be proud of as the gateway to Oxford.

“We have a fantastic city and it deserves a station that makes a statement, so it is very exciting to finally have some design ideas.

“Every step in this process is important, because each one brings the scheme closer to becoming a reality.”

City council leader Bob Price said: “The importance of Oxford on the country’s rail network has increased massively and will continue to develop in the next few years.

“These designs show what can be done.

“I look forward to seeing which one gains most favour from the public and I hope they will inspire Network Rail and the train companies.”

The long-awaited £75m overhaul of the station is a key part of plans to regenerate the city’s West End, alongside the redevelopment of Frideswide Square, the Westgate Shopping Centre and land at Oxpens. A masterplan unveiled for the station in August last year included the addition of more tracks and a third platform to improve capacity, a new bus terminal, hotel, shops and a multi-storey car park off Becket Street.

Before the scheme can begin, the Botley Road railway bridge would also have to be replaced.

Rail bosses have said it could make the city a major ‘rail interchange’, but it is understood project leaders now do not expect work to start until the early 2020s.

City council executive director of regeneration and housing David Edwards said it was likely the scheme would go ahead once Network Rail had finished its electrification projects in the area, which the firm last month admitted had been set back by four years.

He added: “We all know that Oxford’s station needs to be redeveloped to bring it up to a world class standard.

“What happens in the West End is also critical to Oxford’s future and, as we have seen recently with the Westgate Centre and Frideswide Square, parts of the jigsaw are starting to come into place.

“These designs are a statement of our ambition and we want the public to have their say.”

Mr Edwards said the scheme was recognised by the Government as a “special case” alongside the £100m redevelopment of Bristol Temple Meads railway station.

He added that the architects were not being named so the designs could be judged on their own merits.

It is hoped funding for Oxford’s proposals will come from both the public and private sector.

Public consultation on the concept designs will run until December 29.

For information visit oxford.gov.uk/stationcomp