A federal appeals court has ruled that details of some of the conversations between the nation’s four largest railroads about their rates can now be included in lawsuits challenging billions of dollars they charged their customers, but the mixed ruling will also exclude some documents.

The ruling from the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals this week will likely set up more arguments over evidence as Union Pacific, BNSF, Norfolk Southern and CSX railroads defend themselves against dozens of lawsuits accusing them of conspiring to inflate their rates with coordinated fuel surcharges between 2003 and 2007.