The designs for Birmingham New Street station which never left the drawing board

An artists impression of the revamped station from 2004 Credit: Network Rail 2004

Birmingham New Street station opened this week after a five year, £750 million overhaul, but it's been on the drawing board for even longer, and over the years ITV News Central has covered the design ideas at nearly every twist and turn.

We've been looking into our archives at the images released to us promising a brighter future for the second city's main train station - and judging by some of these - things could've been very different!

An artists impression of the revamped station from 2004 - showing a glazed angular facade. Credit: Network Rail 2004
The finished elevation as it ended up in 2015. Credit: Network Rail

All of these designs attempt to cover up the original concrete structure of the 1960s station, to make it a more attractive transport hub for the city.

This concept from 2008 shows a mixture of glass and metal wrapping around the outside of the station. Credit: Network Rail
This picture from 2008 shows what one of the entrances could've looked like Credit: Network Rail 2008

It seems getting light into the station was also a fundamental element to all of the designs over the years.

Here's an idea for the station's atrium from 2008. Credit: Network Rail
And the finished concourse and atrium as it actually materialised. Credit: ITV News Central

These designs from 2008 show how the Pallasades shopping centre could've looked, but today that was consigned to history; thousands at the opening of the new Grand Central shopping centre.

More: Crowds gather for opening of Grand Central shopping centre

This artist impression from 2008 shows a reversioned Pallasades - which today became Grand Central. Credit: Network Rail
The metal cladding all over the structure was not a feature of the earlier designs Credit: ITV News Central

But even some elements of the final design of the station haven't turned out as they first were presented to us.

The footbridge on Navigation Street was meant to be clad in mirrored stainless steel like the rest of the station - but that was removed from the planning application by Network Rail last year.

The metal clad footbridge in the final design never made it off the drawing board. Credit: Network Rail

Read more: Birmingham New Street redevelopment: In numbers