VIRGIN Trains is to bring in special carriages specifically for rowdy football supporters after the operator received complaints from other travellers.

The company is also bringing in specially trained staff in a bid to improve travelling conditions for its customers across its network on match days.

New ‘Event Hosts’ will be introduced on the West Coast lines on weekends during the football season.

These staff will wear high viz pink vests which the company says has a calming effect on large crowds.

Virgin Trains said it had been working with footballing bodies, clubs and the British Transport Police (BTP) before rolling out the initiative.

Along with the dedicated carriages, Virgin said it was also bringing in special catering packages and measures to keep carriages and stations litter free.

Gary Steele, Event Coordination Manager at Virgin Trains, said: “Stations and services can get extremely busy with many football supporters using our network to get to and from fixtures.

“Providing a better environment and engaging with them and other customers on busy days will help remove any points of potential conflict, and offer everyone a better customer experience and a smooth, safe and enjoyable journey.”

Chief Superintendent Allan Gregory from British Transport Police said: “This is an important step forward in helping to improve the experience of football supporters and other rail passengers alike. We know that on match days trains can quickly become busy places and we want everyone travelling to have a safe journey.

“These new Event Hosts are an interesting and creative new idea which we hope will help all passengers to have a better journey and hopefully a good day out too.”

During the first five months of this years the BTP said it recorded more than 330 football-related incidents on the railways.

Most were classified as “disorderly behaviour” but it also recorded incidents involving assault, affray and harassment.

Other reports detailed racist or homophobic chants as well as sexist behaviour.

The move comes after Portsmouth and Plymouth Argyle fans fought each other as supporters left the Portsmouth train station.