Kirkwood, Mo. ? Now that Florida has turned down $2.4 billion in federal funding for high-speed rail service, Missouri is among the states going after that money.

Gov. Jay Nixon was at an Amtrak station in Kirkwood on Tuesday to announce that Missouri will apply for nearly $1 billion in funding for high-speed rail service between St. Louis and Kansas City. The money is up for grabs because Florida’s new Republican governor, Rick Scott, rejected plans for a high-speed line from Orlando to Tampa out of concern that the state couldn’t afford future operating costs.

Nixon, a Democrat, said going after the money makes economic sense, noting that Missouri has a chance to obtain nearly $1 billion with only a $4.5 million state match.

The application will seek $373 million for upgrades to existing lines and about $600 million to plan, design and buy land for a separate line dedicated to high-speed rail only. Nixon said the upgrades to existing lines would create more than 1,300 jobs over the next few years.

“We think that rail travel is a significant and real part of the future of moving people,” Nixon said.