Abstract: An automated mail transporting and sorting apparatus is provided. The automated mail transporting and sorting apparatus includes an identifying and processing machine for determining a particular category from a group of at least two categories of each mail item of a continuous stream of mail items, the at least two categories including a first category and a second category; a first sorting machine for receiving mail items of the first category; a second sorting machine for receiving mail items of the second category; and a continuous gripper line including a plurality of grippers, each gripper being adapted to grip one of the mail items processed by the identifying and processing machine, the gripper line arranged and configured to transport mail items of the first category to the first sorting machine and mail items of the second category to the second sorting machine. A method of transporting and sorting mail items and a gripper apparatus are also provided.