• Known as the Tube, the London Underground is an essential part of everyday life for most Londoners.
• Some of its characteristics are uncommon in American subway systems and can be confusing.
• From unwritten etiquette rules to fare must-knows, here are some surprising things about the Tube.

While it's ridiculously busy at rush hour and way too hot in the summer, the Tube is an essential part of life in London.

As a local, I sometimes use the public transit system — formally called the London Underground —more than four or five times on some days, as it's often the quickest way to get around the city. I can thank the London Tube for saving me from missed flights or arriving late for an interview.

Nonetheless, I can't count how many times I've seen tourists staring at a Tube map, trying to make sense of its seemingly endless tangle of colored lines.

Even as someone who uses the Tube all the time, I have the Citymapper app at the ready when taking an unfamiliar route.

The Tube also has some rules — both official and unwritten — that I would consider necessary for any tourist coming to London. If you have seen what happens when someone stands on the left-hand side of the escalator, you will know what I mean.

Here are 10 surprising things you probably don't know about the Tube, including some that might be useful to know as a tourist.

1. Most Tube trains have no air conditioning

Only about 31% of trains on the Tube network have passenger air conditioning, according to Transport for London (TFL). As soon as a heat wave hits, I cannot ride the Tube without carrying blotting paper and a handheld fan.

Some lines are notorious for how hot they get. Having to take the Central Line in the summer will elicit sympathy from any Londoner. The London Standard reported that it reached almost 103 degrees during the recent June heat wave.

With that in mind, you may also be surprised to learn that in 1926, the London Underground was advertised as "cooler below" on a hot day.

2. The seats are covered in fabric

Unlike the hard plastic seats in most American public transport, Tube seats are covered in a woolen fabric called moquette.

It's been used on the Tube since 1920 because it hides wear and tear and dirt, and also because it's durable.

Admittedly, it does gross me out a bit, even though it gets cleaned. But it's definitely more comfortable than plastic, at least.

3. The price of your journey depends on how many zones you travel through

While the New York City subway has a flat fare, the cost of a journey on the Tube varies depending on how far you travel.

London's transport network is split into fare zones, from the most central to the farthest out: Zones 1 to 9. People here often joke that the zone you live in also determines how much of a "true" Londoner you are.

For example, a single journey within Zone 1 will cost you £3 at off-peak hours, and £3.10 at peak hours. However, if you travel from Zone 6 to 1, or vice versa, it will cost you between £4 and £5.90.

4. Traveling at rush hour will usually cost you more

Rush hour is known as peak time on the Underground and other rail services.

Peak time is Monday to Friday, except public holidays, between 6:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m., and between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Fares are higher at these times.

In addition to saving a bit of money, I would recommend avoiding these times for travel. Carriages can get crammed, and people can be unforgiving if you're carrying a large suitcase or walking too slowly.

5. You have to tap both in and out of the Tube

With all these varying fare prices, you have to tap your card, contactless, Oyster, or physical ticket in and out of the Tube.

Often, there are barriers upon both entry and exit, so you wouldn't miss this, but sometimes there aren't. In these stations, you have to look for a yellow card reader to tap out.

If you don't tap out, you will be charged the maximum fare for that line. I've had this happen to me before, but luckily, you can request a refund from TFL if it happens again.

6. Many of the carriages have armrests between passengers

If you like your personal space, you might be pleased to know that most Tube carriages have an armrest between seats.

However, despite their name, I see them as more of a separation barrier than an actual armrest. Resting your arms on these is a faux pas (unless you absolutely have to) if there are people sitting on either side of you.

7. More than half of the London Underground is actually above ground

While you may be expecting to descend deep underground when taking the Tube, this isn't always the case. Despite its name, most of the London Underground's stations are above ground. I find this is handy for getting service.

The Waterloo & City and Victoria lines are the only two fully underground tube lines.

8. You should always stand on the right-hand side of the escalator

My ultimate word of advice for anyone coming to London is to never stand on the left-hand side of the escalator. The left side is for people walking up or down in a hurry.

It's an efficient system that has saved me from being late hundreds of times. You will be asked to move aside if you break this rule.

9. You can visit the disused tunnels and abandoned tracks

If you like all things spooky and historical, I recommend checking out the London Transport Museum, which offers tours of disused Tube stations, passenger corridors, and tunnels.

Some of these spaces have been used as sets for TV shows and films, including Skyfall and Sherlock.

10. There aren't actually as many 24-hour services in London as you might think

London is not quite the city that never sleeps. I have rarely taken the Tube past midnight and instead rely on Ubers and night buses to get me home.

Only five Tube lines run 24-hour services: Central, Jubilee, Northern (Charing Cross branch), Piccadilly, and Victoria. The Windrush line, which is part of the London Overground, also has a night service.

The Night Tube is also only open on Fridays and Saturdays.

• Accenture has formed a new business group, supported by Google Cloud, to help companies deploy AI agents.
• The group includes 1000 forward-deployed engineers ready to embed with clients.
• Consulting firms have become crucial intermediaries between AI companies and large companies.

Accenture is sending an army of engineers onto the AI battlefield.

The consulting giant and Google Cloud are teaming up to send 1,000 engineers to work with major clients on deploying AI agents, in a partnership they're calling the Accenture Gemini Enterprise Business Group.

It brings together Accenture's Google Cloud-skilled professionals and engineers with Accenture consultants with industry expertise.

A key part of the group's offering is the promise of 1,000 forward-deployed engineers, Accenture professionals who are experts in the Gemini AI platform. They will embed with clients to help them roll out AI across their businesses.

Forward-deployed engineers work inside companies to integrate AI into workflows and customize AI tools for each specific client to make their work easier or more efficient. The role was popularized by Palantir and is now one of the buzziest jobs in tech — postings for the position have grown more than 700% in the last year.

In a press release, Accenture CEO Julie Sweet said the group's combined technical and industry expertise will help clients deploy AI agents and realize value from them more quickly.

The investment also includes plans to expand Gemini Enterprise training for 50,000 Accenture employees.

The new Accenture Gemini Enterprise Business Group will support clients with "a dedicated, specialized team" to help meet the market demand for Gemini Enterprise, Chetna Sehgal, the Accenture Gemini Enterprise Business Group lead, told Business Insider.

The teams will work together on platform engineering, aligned with the client's specific industry, process, and required changes.

"That combination is what lets clients architect, build, and scale Gemini Enterprise solutions with real speed," said Sehgal.

Tech and consulting are teaming up more and more

Consultancies like Accenture shape how companies spend money, buy technology, and redesign work.

They have become critical intermediaries in the AI boom, linking AI companies with their vast roster of Fortune 500 clients, who often want the familiarity and breadth that a traditional consulting firm can offer.

The deal works both ways: AI firms have little time to focus on implementation and sales, so consultants step in to fill the gap. In return, consultancies attach themselves to top names in tech and get access to enterprise-grade tools for their own workforces.

The result has been a flurry of partnerships between top consulting firms and AI leaders such as Anthropic, OpenAI, Nvidia, and Microsoft.

Accenture partnered with ChatGPT last December and expanded its partnership with Anthropic a week later.

The company, a digital and technology specialist, has also been remaking its own workforce for the AI era. Sweet has previously said that AI is Accenture's strongest bet for creating new demand, and in March 2026, said that getting a promotion at Accenture now required AI use.

In 2025, the firm consolidated several of its key divisions into a single unit known as "reinvention services," and executives said it would be "exiting" employees it can't retrain with artificial intelligence skills.

The company's stock is down 29% over the last year, and in its third-quarter earnings report in June, Accenture said new bookings were down 2% for the quarter.

Sweet's message to the investors betting on the company was simple: Be patient. As companies seek Accenture's help to integrate AI, she said, the numbers will improve.