THE top three designs of the multi-million pound overhaul planned for Oxford Rail Station have been announced.

The striking designs give an insight into what the city centre rail station could look like in the future and will be used as inspiration for the long-awaited £75m revamp.

Six designs were put to a panel of judges and following a public consultation Entry F by architects AHR was chosen as the 'people's favourite' with 70 per cent of the vote.

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A judging panel - made up of Network Rail, Oxford City Council, Oxfordshire County Council, the Department for Transport and Great Western Railway - separately selected the design along with two others.

Winning designs including entries from architects Wilkinson Eyre (Entry B); Allies & Morrison (Entry C) and AHR (Entry F).

Chairman of the judging panel Fiona Piercy said: "We were delighted with the calibre of architects involved. They all produced excellent ideas making it very hard to choose the three winners.

"The ideas will help us set the benchmark for architectural quality standards and raise ambitions for a new world class gateway station for Oxford building on the completed work at Frideswide Square and linking to new schemes at Oxpens  and the Westgate development."

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The winning designs beat entries from firms John McAslan (Entry A); AHMM (Entry D) and Rick Mather Architects (Entry E).

Judges noted the single roof concept in Entry B, attractive main station building in Entry C and original design of Entry F with the restaurant on the roof of the station.

Leader of Oxfordshire County Council Ian Hudspeth said: "These designs are visions of what the future of Oxford Railway Station could look like.

"We are all very keen to see progress towards the creation of a world class railway station for a world class city.

"The new station will have a pivotal role in Oxfordshire’s transport future - I look forward to the day when we see ideas like these become reality."

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The station overhaul is 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 in August 2014 included additonal tracks, a third platform, a new bus terminal, hotel, shops and a multi-storey car park off Becket Street.

Oxford City Council leader Bob Price said: "Oxford deserves a new rail station and the station area is a key element in our regeneration of the West End. "The selected designs for the new station are exciting and reflect a genuine 21st century style of architecture."

It is hoped the funding for Oxford's proposals will come from both the public and private sector, but it is understood work is not expected to start until the early 2020s.