Royal deputy with a bad habit getting round in railway (7)
I believe the answer is:
viceroy
'royal deputy' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both people as well as being singular nouns.
Maybe you can see an association between them that I can't see?
'bad habit getting round in railway' is the wordplay.
'bad habit' becomes 'vice' (a sin or weakness).
'getting round' becomes 'o' (I am not sure about this - if you are sure you should believe this answer much more).
'in' indicates putting letters inside.
'railway' becomes 'ry' (abbreviation).
'o' placed within 'ry' is 'roy'.
'vice'+'roy'='VICEROY'
'with a' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for viceroy that I've seen before include "Ruler of a colony" , "Monarch's plenipotentiary - American butterfly, like (but smaller than) a monarch" , "sovereign's governor" , "Sovereign's representative in a colony" , "Governor ruling in name of sovereign" .)