A method and an apparatus enable the reversal of direction in a transport of articles, in particular flat mail items. The length of the leading article is measured. The two articles are transported, with a gap between them, to a direction reversal device. The direction reversal device possesses a “head station” and transports the two articles over a transport path in a transport direction and, subsequently, over the same transport path in the opposite transport direction. If the measured length is greater than a stipulated standard maximum length, the leading article is additionally transported over an additional transport route which follows the transport path, specifically, first, in the transport direction and, subsequently, in the opposite transport direction. The two articles are subsequently transported away in succession.