Youngsters used art work to give their views for the future of the site.

They entered the Imagination Station competition run by the Birmingham New Street regeneration project.

The winning entries are going on display at the station concourse. More than 150 children sent drawings, sculptures, poems and stories.

Other ideas included chair-beds for children, a library room, prayer cabins, luggage that converts to seats and chocolate fountains.

Bigger concourse

Birmingham City Council leader Mike Whitby presented �250 and �100 prizes to the winners - and �500 to their schools - at the Thinktank Museum in Birmingham.

He said: "It is important that we reward this creativity in children because their imagination will be vital in taking us into a new era, building on the economic revitalisation of the city centre, and rail passenger growth."

Peter Strachan, Network Rail Route Director, said: "Plans to regenerate New Street station are underway, however, as passengers of the future, we wanted local young people to tell us what they'd like to see in the station."

The concourse area will be five times bigger than it is now and a glass roof will let natural light in. Station capacity will be "substantially increased" to meet long-term passenger demand.