Huw Edwards told MPs that train operators take the money they receive from Network Rail when there are delays, “but two thirds of passengers who experience a delay do not claim compensation, so the rest is banked by the train operators”.

He said the firms should be forced to “ringfence” the cash and invest it in technology, allowing travellers to tap on and off the train and receive automatic compensation to their bank account if their journey is delayed by more than 15 or 30 minutes.

The operators need to “deliver this technology so that commuters and passengers feel that they are getting value for money”, Edwards said.

He also queried why it is that many young people struggle to get to their Saturday jobs because bus travel is “so expensive or doesn’t exist” while “millionaire pensioners” receive free bus travel.

Edwards said the introduction of a three-day week train ticket would be useful as it would help those who work at home to save money on travel.

The MP for Bexhill and Battle backed “looking at rail fares in terms of lessening increases”.

He also spoke of the “absolute need” to decarbonise the transport sector. Yesterday, figures from the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy found that transport is the largest carbon-emitting sector in the UK and little progress has been made on reducing its footprint.

He said: “We’ve had great success in reducing emissions since the 1990s, down by 40 per cent, pretty much every sector over the last few years has actually reduced, except transport. It’s remained stubbornly difficult to reduce in terms of its footprint.”

Bus services did not receive the “focus that it should have done”, he added.

The bus strategy “needs to really set out some teeth in terms of what the bus service providers should be giving to our constituents”.

He highlighted new Tory constituencies in parts of the North, “where the bus is even more of an essential service than perhaps other parts that we have previously reached”, adding that he hoped “we will have the power on these benches to make sure that bus services are properly restored”.

Huw Edwards told MPs that train operators take the money they receive from Network Rail when there are delays, “but two thirds of passengers who experience a delay do not claim compensation, so the rest is banked by the train operators”.

He said the firms should be forced to “ringfence” the cash and invest it in technology, allowing travellers to tap on and off the train and receive automatic compensation to their bank account if their journey is delayed by more than 15 or 30 minutes.

The operators need to “deliver this technology so that commuters and passengers feel that they are getting value for money”, Edwards said.

He also queried why it is that many young people struggle to get to their Saturday jobs because bus travel is “so expensive or doesn’t exist” while “millionaire pensioners” receive free bus travel.

Edwards said the introduction of a three-day week train ticket would be useful as it would help those who work at home to save money on travel.

The MP for Bexhill and Battle backed “looking at rail fares in terms of lessening increases”.

He also spoke of the “absolute need” to decarbonise the transport sector. Yesterday, figures from the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy found that transport is the largest carbon-emitting sector in the UK and little progress has been made on reducing its footprint.

He said: “We’ve had great success in reducing emissions since the 1990s, down by 40 per cent, pretty much every sector over the last few years has actually reduced, except transport. It’s remained stubbornly difficult to reduce in terms of its footprint.”

Bus services did not receive the “focus that it should have done”, he added.

The bus strategy “needs to really set out some teeth in terms of what the bus service providers should be giving to our constituents”.

He highlighted new Tory constituencies in parts of the North, “where the bus is even more of an essential service than perhaps other parts that we have previously reached”, adding that he hoped “we will have the power on these benches to make sure that bus services are properly restored”.