A conveyor system includes a transport chain with a sequence of interconnected chain links, a guide structure for slidingly supporting the transport chain so that chain links of the transport chain define a substantially flat support surface for supporting articles to be transported, and a motor for causing the transport chain to move with respect to the guide structure along a first direction parallel to the support surface. The motor comprises an electric linear motor including a plurality of magnets, each one located in a respective chain link, and a plurality of propulsion electromagnets located on the guide structure.