# Rail (npm · rail-mcp)

Budgets, propose-then-approve, and receipts for agents that buy for a human. Dry-run by default.

- Trust score: 84/100 (high trust)
- Change this week: +3
- Registry status: active
- Liveness: live
- Owner verified: no
- Last scored: 2026-10-25

## Components

- npm · `rail-mcp`: 84/100 (this document), [markdown](https://verifymcp.io/servers/tstockham96-rail-mcp/rail-mcp.md), [page](https://verifymcp.io/servers/tstockham96-rail-mcp/rail-mcp)

## Channel facts

- Registry: `npm`
- Package: `rail-mcp`
- Version: `0.1.1`
- Transport: `stdio`

## Trust breakdown

How this component scores in each security and reliability category. Every signal is checked automatically from public evidence about the published package, including repeated runs of it in an isolated sandbox, and we only credit what we can confirm. Scores are 0–100 per category. Scoring method: https://verifymcp.io/docs/scoring (what has changed: https://verifymcp.io/docs/scoring/changelog)

Scored 2026-10-25.

- **Supply Chain Security**: 100/100
  - No malware found by supply-chain analysis.
  - No known CVEs affecting this package version or its production dependencies.
  - No install/post-install scripts declared.
  - 0 of 4 dependencies flagged as unhealthy.
- **Provenance & Transparency**: 45/100
  - Source repository is publicly reachable at the declared URL.
  - Provenance check failed: no build-provenance attestation is published.
  - Clear OSI-approved license (MIT).
  - Actively maintained (last published 25 days ago).
  - Disclosure check failed: no security disclosure policy was found in the source repository.
- **Schema Quality & AI Usability**: 82/100
  - AI-judged instruction clarity (excellent).
  - Tool/resource definitions use about 607 tokens (~86/item across 7 items; 7 tools + 0 resources), lean.
  - Usage-examples check failed: none of the tools include examples.
- **Stability & Change Management**: 87/100
  - Stability observed for 26 of 30 days with no destabilising changes; credit accrues until the full window elapses.
- **Tool Coverage**: 100/100
  - 100% of tools have a non-trivial description (not blank, and not just the tool's name).
  - 100% of tool parameters carry a description.
- **Tool Safety**: 100/100
  - No prompt-injection markers were found in the server instructions, tool names or descriptions we captured.
  - All 2 tool(s) whose name or description implies an irreversible operation declare an MCP destructiveHint annotation.
  - An AI judge read all 7 captured unit(s) of tool text and found none that tries to manipulate the model reading it.
- **Capabilities**: 100/100
  - Implements a current MCP spec version (2026-07-28).

## Install

### How do I install the Rail MCP server?

Rail runs locally as an npm package, launched with npx -y rail-mcp. Ready-made configuration for Claude, Cursor, VS Code, Codex and 5 more is on this page, copied from each client's own documentation.

### Claude

```bash
claude mcp add tstockham96-rail-mcp -- npx -y rail-mcp
```

### Cursor

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tstockham96-rail-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "rail-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

### VS Code

```json
{
  "servers": {
    "tstockham96-rail-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "rail-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

### Codex

```bash
codex mcp add tstockham96-rail-mcp -- npx -y rail-mcp
```

### opencode

```json
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "mcp": {
    "tstockham96-rail-mcp": {
      "type": "local",
      "command": [
        "npx",
        "-y",
        "rail-mcp"
      ],
      "enabled": true
    }
  }
}
```

### OpenClaw

```bash
openclaw mcp add tstockham96-rail-mcp --command npx --arg -y --arg rail-mcp
```

### Hermes

```yaml
mcp_servers:
  tstockham96-rail-mcp:
    command: "npx"
    args: ["-y", "rail-mcp"]
```

### Netclaw

```json
{
  "McpServers": {
    "tstockham96-rail-mcp": {
      "Transport": "stdio",
      "Command": "npx",
      "Arguments": [
        "-y",
        "rail-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

### Vellum

```bash
assistant mcp add tstockham96-rail-mcp -t stdio -c npx -a -y rail-mcp
```

### Other

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tstockham96-rail-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "rail-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

## Changelog

Every change recorded for this component, newest first. Days that predate change tracking, or that we cannot explain, say so: "we were watching and nothing happened" and "we were not watching" are different claims.

### 2026-10-25 (score 84, +1)

No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 83 to 87. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 25 days of observed history at the previous scan, 26 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.

### 2026-10-22 (score 83, +1)

No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 73 to 77. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 22 days of observed history at the previous scan, 23 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.

### 2026-10-20 (score 82, +1)

No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 67 to 70. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 20 days of observed history at the previous scan, 21 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.

### 2026-10-18 (score 81, +1)

No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 60 to 63. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 18 days of observed history at the previous scan, 19 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.

### 2026-10-16 (score 80, +1)

No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 53 to 57. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 16 days of observed history at the previous scan, 17 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.

### 2026-10-14 (score 79, +1)

No change was recorded against any check on this day. Stability & Change Management went from 47 to 50. That category is still filling its 30-day observation window: 14 days of observed history at the previous scan, 15 at this one. The score rises as the window fills, whether or not the server changes.

### 2026-10-12 (score 78, +1)

- [functional regression] Security disclosure: unverified → fail

### 2026-10-11 (score 77, +5)

- [functional regression] Security disclosure: fail → unverified
- [functional improvement] Stability: unverified → 0.40

## MCP tools (7)

### `set_budget` (~89 tokens)

Set budget

Overwrite the local spend budget. Changes the ledger limit only. Does not spend money, approve a card, settle a purchase, or contact Stripe or Link. Passing the same amount again does not add to the budget.

Input parameters:

- `amount_usd` (number, required): Budget amount in USD
- `currency` (string): Currency code; default USD
- `note` (string): Optional note for this budget

### `get_budget` (~41 tokens)

Get budget

Read the active budget, amount spent, amount remaining, and the count of pending proposals. Does not change the ledger, spend money, or contact Stripe or Link.

### `propose_purchase` (~131 tokens)

Propose purchase

Record a pending purchase intent only. Moves no money, creates no receipt, approves no card, and does not contact Stripe or Link. Needs a later human approval via decide_proposal before anything settles. When a budget exists and the amount is above what remains, the proposal is stored with over_budget set and still spends nothing.

Input parameters:

- `amount_usd` (number, required): Purchase amount in USD
- `merchant` (string, required): Merchant or seller name
- `rationale` (string): Why the agent wants this
- `sku` (string): SKU or product identifier
- `url` (string): Product or checkout URL

### `list_proposals` (~61 tokens)

List proposals

Read purchase proposals filtered by status: pending (default), approved, rejected, or all. Does not approve, reject, spend money, or contact Stripe or Link.

Input parameters:

- `status` (string): Filter: pending (default), approved, rejected, or all

### `decide_proposal` (~148 tokens)

Decide proposal

Approve or reject one pending proposal. This is the step a human should confirm. decision=approve settles the purchase: in the default dry-run mode it writes a settled_dry_run receipt, stamps a fake settlement ref (lsrq_dry_…), and decrements the remaining budget, without calling the network. decision=reject spends nothing and writes no receipt. The proposal can be decided only once; repeating the call does not settle again. Live charging stays off unless separate live gates are set on purpose.

Input parameters:

- `decision` (string, required): approve settles; reject spends nothing
- `note` (string): Optional decision note
- `proposal_id` (string, required): Proposal id (prop_…)

### `get_receipts` (~46 tokens)

Get receipts

Read receipts, newest first, including dry-run settlements and refunds. Does not refund, spend money, or contact Stripe or Link.

Input parameters:

- `limit` (integer): Max receipts to return

### `refund_receipt` (~91 tokens)

Refund receipt

Reverse a settled dry-run receipt and restore that amount to the remaining budget. This is the step a human should confirm. Does not contact Stripe or Link. A receipt can be refunded only once; repeating the call does not refund again. Refuses receipts that are not settled_dry_run.

Input parameters:

- `reason` (string): Refund reason
- `receipt_id` (string, required): Receipt id (rcpt_…)

## Diagnostics

Captured diagnostic sections: Provenance, Dependencies. The full working is on the page: https://verifymcp.io/servers/tstockham96-rail-mcp/rail-mcp#diagnostics

## Score history

- 2026-10-25: 84
- 2026-10-24: 83
- 2026-10-23: 83
- 2026-10-22: 83
- 2026-10-21: 82
- 2026-10-20: 82
- 2026-10-19: 81
- 2026-10-18: 81
- 2026-10-17: 80
- 2026-10-16: 80
- 2026-10-15: 79
- 2026-10-14: 79
- 2026-10-13: 78
- 2026-10-12: 78
- 2026-10-11: 77
- 2026-10-06: 72
- 2026-10-05: 72
- 2026-10-04: 72
- 2026-10-03: 72
- 2026-10-02: 72
- 2026-10-01: 72
- 2026-09-30: 72
- 2026-09-29: 57

## Common questions

### What is the Rail MCP server?

Rail is an MCP server listed in the public MCP registry as io.github.tstockham96/rail-mcp. Budgets, propose-then-approve, and receipts for agents that buy for a human. Dry-run by default. This page covers its npm package (rail-mcp).

### Is the Rail MCP server safe to use?

Rail scores 84 out of 100 on VerifyMCP. We found no known CVEs affecting it as of 25 October 2026. It declares no install or post-install scripts. That is a record of what we were able to check automatically, not an endorsement. The category breakdown on this page shows every signal behind the number, including the ones we could not confirm.

### What tools does the Rail MCP server expose?

Rail exposes 7 tools: set_budget, get_budget, propose_purchase, list_proposals, decide_proposal, and 2 more. Their descriptions and schemas cost roughly 607 tokens of context every time the server is loaded.

### Is the Rail MCP server still maintained?

Rail is still listed as active in the MCP registry. We last reached this channel on 25 October 2026. Those dates come from our own scans of the registry and the channel itself, not from anything the publisher announced.

### What licence is the Rail MCP server under?

Rail declares the MIT licence, which is OSI-approved. That covers the source only, and says nothing about the cost of any service it calls.

## Links

- npm package: https://www.npmjs.com/package/rail-mcp
- Socket report: https://socket.dev/npm/package/rail-mcp
- Repository: https://github.com/tstockham96/rail-mcp
- Changelog RSS feed: https://verifymcp.io/servers/tstockham96-rail-mcp/rail-mcp.xml
- Changelog JSON feed: https://verifymcp.io/servers/tstockham96-rail-mcp/rail-mcp.json
- HTML version of this page: https://verifymcp.io/servers/tstockham96-rail-mcp/rail-mcp