An apparatus and a method transport articles by way of a plurality of parallel buffer sections. A feeding device transports the articles to a buffer device at a predetermined feeding speed. Each article is then directed into in each case one buffer section, which is either in a feeding mode or in a transporting-away mode. Each buffer section transports the articles which have been directed into this buffer section to a transporting-away device. In the feeding mode, the buffer section transports to the transporting-away device at a feeding buffer speed which depends on the feeding speed. In the transporting-away mode, the buffer section transports to the transporting-away device at a transporting-away buffer speed which depends on the transporting-away speed. The transporting-away device transports the articles away at a predetermined transporting-away speed.