Train heading for Exeter expected to carry animal (7)
I believe the answer is:
educate
'train' is the definition.
(synonyms)
'heading for exeter expected to carry animal' is the wordplay.
'heading for' indicates taking the first letters.
'expected' becomes 'due' (similar in meaning).
'to carry' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'animal' becomes 'cat' (I've seen this before).
The first letter of 'exeter' is 'e'.
'due' placed around 'cat' is 'ducate'.
'e'+'ducate'='EDUCATE'
(Other definitions for educate that I've seen before include "Impart learning" , "Inform" , "Impart knowledge" , "what teacher should do, to be effective" , "Teach - school" .)