A method for operating a transport system, in particular a multi-carrier system, that comprises a plurality of linear motors which are arranged in a row and which have a guide track, a plurality of transport elements (15, 17, 19) which can be moved along the guide track by means of the linear motors, and a plurality of stations (S 1, S 2, S 3) along the guide track, wherein each of the transport elements (15, 17, 19) is associated with one of the stations (S 1, S 2, S 3), and wherein the method has the following steps: - generating an instance (I 1, I 2, I 3) for each of the transport elements (15, 17, 19), - generating a list (L S1, L S2) for each of the stations (S 1, S 2, S 3), wherein the instance (I 1, I 2, I 3) for each of the transport elements (15, 17, 19) associated with the respective station is associated with the list (L S1, L S2), and wherein, within the respective list (L S1, L S2), the instance (I 1, I 2, I 3) of each transport element (15, 17, 19) is linked to the instance (I 1, I 2, I 3) of the transport element (15, 17, 19) directly ahead of the observed transport element (15, 17, 19) and to the instance (I 1, I 2, I 3) of the transport element (15, 17, 19) directly behind the observed transport element (15, 17, 19), - transferring a transport element (15, 17, 19) from a first station to a directly following second station and inserting the instance (I 1, I 2, I 3) of this transport element (15, 17, 19) into the list (L S2) of the second station if a transport job that goes beyond the first station is present for the transport element (15, 17, 19), wherein the transfer takes place in an event-controlled manner and independently of a transfer point if a predetermined transfer condition is fulfilled, and - controlling the linear motors to execute travel jobs of the transport elements (15, 17, 19). a plurality of linear motors which are arranged in a row and which have a guide track, a plurality of transport elements (15, 17, 19) which can be moved along the guide track by means of the linear motors, and a plurality of stations (S 1, S 2, S 3) along the guide track, wherein each of the transport elements (15, 17, 19) is associated with one of the stations (S 1, S 2, S 3), and wherein the method has the following steps: - generating an instance (I 1, I 2, I 3) for each of the transport elements (15, 17, 19), - generating a list (L S1, L S2) for each of the stations (S 1, S 2, S 3), wherein the instance (I 1, I 2, I 3) for each of the transport elements (15, 17, 19) associated with the respective station is associated with the list (L S1, L S2), and wherein, within the respective list (L S1, L S2), the instance (I 1, I 2, I 3) of each transport element (15, 17, 19) is linked to the instance (I 1, I 2, I 3) of the transport element (15, 17, 19) directly ahead of the observed transport element (15, 17, 19) and to the instance (I 1, I 2, I 3) of the transport element (15, 17, 19) directly behind the observed transport element (15, 17, 19), - transferring a transport element (15, 17, 19) from a first station to a directly following second station and inserting the instance (I 1, I 2, I 3) of this transport element (15, 17, 19) into the list (L S2) of the second station if a transport job that goes beyond the first station is present for the transport element (15, 17, 19), - generating an instance (I 1, I 2, I 3) for each of the transport elements (15, 17, 19), - generating a list (L S1, L S2) for each of the stations (S 1, S 2, S 3), wherein the instance (I 1, I 2, I 3) for each of the transport elements (15, 17, 19) associated with the respective station is associated with the list (L S1, L S2), and wherein, within the respective list (L S1, L S2), the instance (I 1, I 2, I 3) of each transport element (15, 17, 19) is linked to the instance (I 1, I 2, I 3) of the transport element (15, 17, 19) directly ahead of the observed transport element (15, 17, 19) and to the instance (I 1, I 2, I 3) of the transport element (15, 17, 19) directly behind the observed transport element (15, 17, 19), - transferring a transport element (15, 17, 19) from a first station to a directly following second station and inserting the instance (I 1, I 2, I 3) of this transport element (15, 17, 19) into the list (L S2) of the second station if a transport job that goes beyond the first station is present for the transport element (15, 17, 19), wherein the transfer takes place in an event-controlled manner and independently of a transfer point if a predetermined transfer condition is fulfilled, and - controlling the linear motors to execute travel jobs of the transport elements (15, 17, 19). - controlling the linear motors to execute travel jobs of the transport elements (15, 17, 19).