It depends how you view this set guys, it is a new "toe in the water" for Hornby by the look of things and it is to a degree aimed at a different market with different aims.
What I mean by that is it is a true scale model (probably OO gauge compatible with the usual UK real model trains I would suspect), has realistic looking track (although I agree not as durable as BPT) and train/carriages with far more detail than you normally get on Tomy trains.
This to a degree falls between true Hornby fine scale models and the Marklin ones I posted about some time back. The Marklin while also HO gauge (H0/OO are similar and run on the same track) and featuring sound/lights as well as remote control, also came with plastic tracks and although the trains were quite advanced they were also pretty low detail - virtually all the trains are high speed trains in various base colours with stickers to provide the detail (so more like the current Tomy ones).
But the big difference with both the Marklin and Hornby trains is that they are trying to snag youngsters with an intention of weaning them onto their fine scale model lines. Although both come with plastic track there is no reason they cannot run on the more normal plastic/copper-nickel tracks as they are scaled to do so.
Personally I think this is a very positive move from Hornby and knowing them may spawn a whole range of trains - bearng in mind the only competition in the UK (apart from the chinese clones etc) is Track master 2 and they could be onto a real winnner here...
EDIT: I've had a bit of a look round the Hornby site and if you do a search for junior you'll get quite a few 'Lima Junior' items returned including locomotives for ~£35 and various carriages and wagons. These are Italian outline models, Lima being an Italian company that Hornby acquired a few years back. The fact they carry this range as well seems to indicate that Lima have had their toe in the water of this market for some time, albeit with normal electrified as opposed to battery locomotives. So it would seem to confirm that Hornby do intend to get into this market in a bigger way. Also consider that the cardboard tunnel/station could always be upgraded using other items from the standard hornby range which is absolutely huge
What I mean by that is it is a true scale model (probably OO gauge compatible with the usual UK real model trains I would suspect), has realistic looking track (although I agree not as durable as BPT) and train/carriages with far more detail than you normally get on Tomy trains.
This to a degree falls between true Hornby fine scale models and the Marklin ones I posted about some time back. The Marklin while also HO gauge (H0/OO are similar and run on the same track) and featuring sound/lights as well as remote control, also came with plastic tracks and although the trains were quite advanced they were also pretty low detail - virtually all the trains are high speed trains in various base colours with stickers to provide the detail (so more like the current Tomy ones).
But the big difference with both the Marklin and Hornby trains is that they are trying to snag youngsters with an intention of weaning them onto their fine scale model lines. Although both come with plastic track there is no reason they cannot run on the more normal plastic/copper-nickel tracks as they are scaled to do so.
Personally I think this is a very positive move from Hornby and knowing them may spawn a whole range of trains - bearng in mind the only competition in the UK (apart from the chinese clones etc) is Track master 2 and they could be onto a real winnner here...
EDIT: I've had a bit of a look round the Hornby site and if you do a search for junior you'll get quite a few 'Lima Junior' items returned including locomotives for ~£35 and various carriages and wagons. These are Italian outline models, Lima being an Italian company that Hornby acquired a few years back. The fact they carry this range as well seems to indicate that Lima have had their toe in the water of this market for some time, albeit with normal electrified as opposed to battery locomotives. So it would seem to confirm that Hornby do intend to get into this market in a bigger way. Also consider that the cardboard tunnel/station could always be upgraded using other items from the standard hornby range which is absolutely huge
Happily collecting things all my life... 
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