International design consultants have been appointed to draw up a masterplan for Oxford’s railway station area.

Aedas has already helped design redevelopments in Manchester, Glasgow, Russia and China.

Now it is planning a major upgrade of Oxford’s station over the next few years, with £70m set aside for it.

The company, hired ny Network Rail, has designed 47 railway stations and two rail depots for the first metro system in the United Arab Emirates and the West Kowloon Terminus in Hong Kong.

Before work can start in Oxford, Network Rail, along with the city and county councils, must develop a masterplan to look at what improvements could be made to enhance the station, which is managed by First Great Western, and the surrounding area.

A design competition will then generate ideas for how the station itself should look.

Patrick Hallgate, Network Rail’s route managing director, said: “The next few years will see continuous improvement on the railway in and around Oxford as Network Rail delivers a programme of electrification and signalling upgrades to pave the way for new, more reliable trains.

“Our aspiration is to have a station that will provide better facilities to accommodate future passenger and freight traffic and help to boost economic growth in the region.”

Aedas will look at the wider station area, including the forecourt and transport interchange, Beckett Street car park, Roger Dudman Way and Botley Road bridge.

It will also consider how proposed options would link in with the county council’s Frideswide Square plans.

Aedas director Karle Burford said: “The new designs will improve operations, increase capacity and create a modern approach to enhance the overall impression upon arrival.”

Aedas is expected to unveil proposed options for the station later in the year, which will then be evaluated by Network Rail, Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford City Council and First Great Western.

In January Network Rail submitted its plan for the railway between 2014-19 for approval to the Office of Rail Regulation, which will publish its decision in October.

David Edwards, the city council’s executive director of city regeneration, said: “Appointing Aedas to drive this forward is an important milestone in delivering our aspiration of a world-class station for Oxford.”