A transportation device such as an elevator installation, an escalator, or a moving walkway may comprise a person conveying unit and an electromagnetic linear drive for driving the person conveying unit. The electromagnetic linear drive may include a stator segment and a runner element. The runner element can be driven by the force of an electromagnetic field of the stator segment in a first drive direction or in an opposite second drive direction. The runner element is movably mounted on the person conveying unit such that a magnetic resistance in an air gap between the stator segment and the runner element is adjustable depending on a drive force acting between the stator segment and the runner element.